Beautiful Music Together
by Kylarra Kavana
Summary: Spock is mentoring a reluctant cadet, but finds out he's the one who needs mentoring after falling head over heels in love!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I'm not getting paid for any of my work, and I don't own anything from Star Trek. Since the Star Trek Universe is a relatively limited one, I apologize ahead of time if I've inadvertantly duplicated the ideas or work of anything previously presented on Star Trek fan fiction. I assure you it is/was purely coincidental._

**Beautiful Music Together**!

**Chapter 1. Meeting**.

**Spock stood in his customary position with both hands clasped behind his back as Captain Christopher Pike regarded him across the expanse of his desk.**

**"You've had three successful years at the Academy, Commander Spock," Pike intoned. "You've managed to complete your academic requirements in less than three years, and you've also obtained your current rank, Lieutenant Commander in record time. Obtaining your credentials to teach at the Academy next year is a mere formality." Captain Pike paused slightly to observe the effect of his words on the Lieutenant Commander. As expected, Spock stood motionless before him and merely acknowledged his statements with a slight nod.**

**'This semester, I would like to ease you into your academic and teaching assignments by assigning you as a mentor," Pike continued as he perused a display on his desk. "As you know, we have a program called, 'Academy Fast Track' which accelerates the integration of extremely gifted individuals into military life. These students, which number three this year, are the Federation's best in Physics, Engineering, and Math. They have already met or exceeded their academic requirements at other universities, but have been recruited by Star Fleet. What's generally not public knowledge is that they will be taking part in the 'Kelvin Project' which is under special Federation seal. Spock's interest peaked slightly when Captain Pike referred to the highly guarded, secret project.**

**"The only weakness in your academic resume´, Commander, if any weakness can be found," Pike countered quickly as he noticed one of Spock's eyebrow rise in silent protest, "is in the field of leadership…mainly your interaction …or lack thereof…with humans or other sentient life forms. These skills are essential if you are to command a starship in the future."**

**Tired of such a formal discussion and feeling that Spock needed a more in-depth and personal explanation, Pike finally waved Spock to a chair. Spock sat down silently continuing to listen to his respected adviser.**

**"You are _much_ too isolated, Spock, and putting you in with Sean Finnegan as a roommate last semester to give you more interaction with humans was a complete disaster, and I still apologize for that mishap," Pike smiled to himself as he cleared his throat.**

**"On the contrary, Captain. I found three months, two days... with Cadet Finnegan an extremely rewarding experience as I was able to closely study the varying aspects and mysteries of the human psyche," Spock countered smoothly as Pike chuckled in disbelief.**

**Still smiling, Pike said, "Well, we can debate _that_ at another time, Commander. Your student is an expert in Temporal and Theoretical Physics, and he's no slouch in Engineering, either." Captain Pike paused again at this point and sighed. "The problem is, Commander, is that he was sort of _drafted_ into the Academy, and he may be...reluctant to stay. Your assignment is to show him the advantages of a career in Star Fleet. That means, Commander, making sure he _stays_ at the Academy." Pike's tone turned serious once more. "You'll be living with him for the next three months in the Officer's dormitory. He should be arriving tomorrow morning."**

**"May I ask the name of my new student?" Spock queried.**

**Pike turned a PADD towards Spock displaying a face and a name. **

**Samuel Boma. Cadet Samuel Boma,' Pike said handing the PADD to Spock.**

_This is my first try at fan fiction. I would appreciate if you would take the time to review this story. If you like the premise, then my next Chapter is ready to be posted._


	2. Chapter 2

Beautiful Music Together.

Chapter 2. Reluctant Cadet

Samuel Boma arrived at the Star Fleet Academy checkpoint in style, but since Security had expected him three hours earlier, they weren't too impressed with his entrance. Decked out in a tailored, purple shirt and black slacks, the tall, dark-haired, young man had arrived at his destination fashionably, but not intentionally, late. His 'look' was completed with a full-lengthed, black overcoat designed to accentuate his lithe, but toned physique. He knew he was looking quite fine, and he had felt appreciative eyes accompanying him on his long journey to his current destination in San Francisco.

Being basically easygoing, Boma accepted his inevitable 'dressing down' by Star Fleet security with a mixture of humor and disdain. Most of the incoming cadets were already dressed in Academy uniforms and some greeted the newcomer with shaking heads of disbelief. Other, more informed cadets, regarded the newcomer with whispering interest, recognizing him from the entertainment nets. His dressing-down continued and he was beginning to wonder if this security guard was ever going to wind down. She continued her tirade despite Boma's glazed, disinterested look:

'… _and he had better learn that the Academy had strict rules and regulations…and yes, they knew that his flight had been delayed, but there were other alternatives than first class transport and private shuttles…and he had better realize now that the Academy would not cater to his individual needs no matter how famous and privileged….and why wasn't he in uniform like the other incoming cadets?…' _

Tired of the security guard's rant and of the wait, he turned to leave the checkpoint. The security guard was quite willing to let him go, but a clerk who had been busy checking his credentials and assembling his cadet packet, quickly moved to intercept Boma earning a stunned and angry look from his colleague. Boma reacted neither positively nor negatively, because any reason Star Fleet found to reject him was _quite_ all right with him, because he didn't want to be a part of Star Fleet anyway.

Since the destruction of the U.S.S. Kelvin, Starfleet had actively been seeking the best talent in Physics and Math to glean more scientific information from the brief and destructive appearance of the Romulan ship, Narada. He had been heavily recruited by Starfleet since he was 6 years old. His mathematical genius and his unparalleled knowledge of Physics had set him apart at an early age. But Samuel had had other ideas. He had discovered a love for the theater while in school. He had wanted to tour with the Kodos Theatre group having got the lead role in 'Othello', and he had especially been looking forward to playing Petruchio opposite Kodos' beautiful young daughter, Lenore, in 'The Taming of the Shrew'. But somehow, (and he suspected Star Fleet), funding for the theatre tour had suddenly disappeared, then mysteriously reappeared after he had signed up with the Academy.

'We are very sorry for the delay, Cadet…ummm Mr. Boma,' the clerk said waking Boma out of his reverie. Please proceed 100 meters to your left, and you will find my personal ground transport at the back of this checkpoint. I will personally accompany you to your new accommodation on the Academy grounds.

'_So they thought he would bolt, did they_?' laughing privately to himself, knowing that Star Fleet was right in making the assumption. They were taking no chances and they weren't going to be satisfied until he had taken his military oath later that afternoon. Then he was very certain that his life would be changing…for the worst…but between now and then, he decided he would enjoy himself and his remaining moments of freedom as a civilian in his chosen role as 'intergalatic star'…well, the potential was there anyway.

The security guard gave Boma a final disgusted look as he strutted jauntily through the gates of the checkpoint with his overcoat tails flaring dramatically behind him. He just grinned enduring the glares of his future classmates who continued waiting for official military transport.,

The clerk walked briskly toward the ground vehicle with Boma's duffel bag, (which Boma had deliberately left at the checkpoint entrance), slung over his left shoulder while completing a cryptic message into his PADD with his free right hand. The clerk smiled tightly, wisely saying nothing, and threw Boma's bag in the back seat and gestured to Boma to get into the vehicle. The drive to the Academy was uneventful, but the clerk explained to Boma about security clearances and security access within the Academy. The clerk let him out of the transport not far from his destination after explaining how to get to his new accommodation. Murmuring insincere gratitude to the departing transport, Boma hefted his duffel bag and slung it around his shoulder. He hummed quietly to himself as he made his way through the maze of buildings of Star Fleet Academy.

While not overjoyed at being a first-year cadet at Star Fleet Academy, he resigned himself to his destiny wondering what type of stage and actors he was about to encounter. As he walked on, he realized that the clerk had deliberately left him further from his destination than he had thought. Boma would have the last laugh, though. He had 5 more bags arriving that evening and he expected them to be delivered promptly to him that night.

He finally recognized Robau Hall on the right side of the walkway, then the beautiful park littered with trees and benches. He followed the park until the end and found another walkway which led to what looked like an old-styled planetarium. He walked passed the edifice another 500 meters as the walkway eventually wound around to a wide, lush green area with four, large imposing buildings which had to be the living accommodations for officers and teachers. In the center of the greenery was an old style gazebo surrounded by bushes and trees. After locating the correct building, he spoke his name, palmed the door, and it hissed open. Once inside, he discovered another potential barrier to the solitude of his room in the form of an upper-class cadet who sat behind a high desk inspecting all entrants into the hall. Boma wondered at this since the security door was voice-coded. Boma hoped that he didn't have to explain why a mere first-class cadet had his accommodation in the officer's building, but the cadet seemed to be well-informed sending Boma quickly on his way. He walked down the wide hallway to the last room on the left, palmed the door, and entered his room.

He dumped his belongings on the bed to the right. He sighed heavily when he noticed he had deposited his bag on top of a great mound of Academy issue ready for tidying and sorting. The room was very large, but sparse. The sleeping room was basically symmetrical, so it could easily be divided between two inhabitants. A neatly made bed and tidy shelves made it obvious that the left side of the room was already occupied. Samuel walked around the accommodation which was definitely larger than he had expected. This…apartment had a small kitchenette, an enclosed patio with windows, separate wash and disposal facilities, and even a small living and study area.

The door hissed open suddenly and Boma involuntarily whirled around to greet the intruder. The intruder pressed a button on the wall and the lights brightened in the room.

He gave Boma a brief, but clinical raking over, then intoned, "I am Commander Spock, your mentor."

Shocked and groaning inwardly, Boma found himself looking into the face of a Vulcan. Star Fleet definitely was going to give Samuel Boma special attention.

_Thanks for all of the reviews. I really don't know what to say. __I really didn't know what to expect from you readers, because I thought my first chapter was short and quite mundane. I'm thrilled that you guys liked it, and I also thank everyone who added me to their Story Alert_! _As promised, here's Chapter 2_.


	3. Chapter 3

Beautiful Music Together.

_Sorry, that I didn't write anything earlier, but Cadet Boma is based on the TOS character, Lieutenant Boma, (TOS: Galileo Seven). He is/was one of my favorite characters. Also, many of you will recognize Finnegan, from TOS: Shore Leave, and Kodos/Lenore, Anton and Lenore Karidian; respectively, from (TOS: The Conscience of the King). _

_I realize that this story is taking a while to get going; i.e, where's Uhura, Kirk, and the others!? **Don't worry, they will be introduced... when I'm good and ready! **Just kidding. Smile. Really. This is my first fan-fiction, and I'm a bit overwhelmed._

Chapter 3. First Day.

Recovering his composure from the unexpected entrance of Commander Spock, Boma realized with intense relief that assuming an efficient, student role would probably suffice in dealing with his new mentor. He relaxed slightly and listened submissively as Spock continued his soliloquy.

"…Your advisor will be Captain Christopher Pike. Captain Pike is also my advisor, and he is of the opinion that we will be able to assist each other. I will be in charge of the initial phases of your indoctrination into the Academy, and you shall assist me…with your superior knowledge of Physics."

Boma could have sworn that Spock spoke his last sentence with a bit of sarcasm, and had the feeling that Spock wanted to add another adjective like, 'alleged' ahead of the word superior.….but, of course, he was just imagining things. Vulcans were not _that way,_ or so Boma had heard.

"Normally, first class cadets are restricted from using the kitchen and living room areas in their quarters, if available. I do not understand the reasoning behind such coercions; therefore, you have my complete allowance to utilize our entire quarters as long as you adhere to hygienic standards."

"I took the liberty of transferring your itinerary for today to your PADD. You may take the rest of the day to get settled in your new environs after you have completed your assignments. I will return at approximately 20:00, and I expect your belongings," turning his head slightly to look at the disorganized heap on Boma's bed, "to be in strict military order."

The Vulcan then swept out the room not even asking if Boma had any questions. Well, he didn't, and he was sure all his questions would be answered in the itinerary anyway.

Boma swept his bag and the heap of his Academy issue to the floor, and sat down heavily on his bed. His head was spinning, thinking how his life was being turned upside-down. What time was it now? Ahhh….10:30. Wondering what else was scheduled for that day, he pulled out his PADD and accessed the itinerary.

Academy Oath ceremony, 12:00 – mandatory. Lunch, 12:45 – also mandatory. Meeting with Captain Pike - 14:00. And between now and 12:00, he was to read and memorize the 'Star Fleet Code of Conduct' and the section on 'Star Fleet Military History'. His eyes nearly popped out when he noticed a morning run was scheduled for 05:00 the next morning. He sighed. Commander Spock hadn't underestimated him like most instructors had done in the past. Boma suddenly realized that he had probably underestimated his mentor because obviously he _had _to know that he had an eidetic memory. He knew exactly what Boma was capable of, maximizing his time to the last minute…more likely to the last milli-second. In a sour mood, he accessed the Code of Conduct and began to read.

Samuel Boma looked every bit the epitome of a first class cadet. Dressed in his high-collared, formal military uniform, he was virtually unrecognizable, (although still quite handsome he admitted to himself), from the man who had strutted through the Academy checkpoint earlier that day. He pressed his PADD against the wall, and managed to take some pretty decent images of himself, (emphasizing his best side), to send to his parents and Lenore.

After enduring the welcoming speech by the Commandant of Cadets, Boma raised his right hand along with his fellow cadets and recited the military oath. Released from the ceremony, and feeling that his fate was sealed, (at least for the next year), he had filed out of the hall with the other new cadets. They were immediately pounced on by upperclassman waiting to issue their own version of welcome to the now official cadets, by making their first journey to the dining hall a bit more memorable. Two upperclassmen confronted Cadet Boma and queried him mercilessly on sections of the Cadet Code of Conduct. Having memorized the material, he answered the cadets with ease. The startled cadets finally gave up, and after finding imaginary discrepancies in his uniform, the cadets finally moved on to somebody else. After the short hazing, the cadet group was herded into 4 groups of 25 and were marched to the dining hall.

****************************************************************************************************************

Cadet Sean Finnegan and his cronies were sitting in their usual corner, watching the new first class cadets come through the door with child-like glee. Finnegan surveyed each face closely looking for potential victims. So far, none of the cadets had the nerve to look in their direction feeling intimidation emanate from that corner. Not a saucy cadet in the bunch! Disappointed, Finnegan sagged in his chair. Looked like he was going to have to wait until the official class reported in June when there would be over 2000 cadets to choose from. A friend of Finnegan's sat by the dining room door with a fake PADD in his hand, waiting for Finnegan's signal if anyone interesting should pass through. Finnegan sat up suddenly and became alert! He didn't like the swagger and gaze of one cadet as he walked confidently through the wide doors. The cadet actually had the audacity to glare at Finnegan and his friends for about five seconds not at all intimidated by the scene. Beautiful! The darkly handsome, cocky face matched exactly the type that Finnegan wanted to teach a lesson in upper-class humiliation. Finnegan signaled sharply to his friend at the door and the fake PADD was aimed quickly at the eyes of the cadet. Information from the retinal scan was relayed to a PADD at Finnegan's table. Finnegan scanned the information. Hmmm. Cadet Samuel Boma, Fast Track, (yum-yum)…

Someone elbowed Finnegan, "Sean, doesn't he look familiar! Isn't that the guy on the entertainment nets?"

"Hey now!" Finnegan replied interestingly, realizing that his colleague was correct. "So he is. A ce…le…bri…ty!" he chortled, as he surveyed the additional, private information retrieved from his PADD on Samuel Boma. With his group huddled around him, they read the data, and Finnegan's face broke into a wide, toothy grin!

Samuel Boma recognized vermin immediately, (and they came in every form), giving them each, and especially their leader a venonomous stare and grin of his own. This group was typical as they sat huddled, whispering and planning in their dank, dark corner, plotting evil to people supposedly weaker than themselves. Trouble makers…all of them.

Because of his late flight that morning, he realized that he had eaten nothing since leaving home at 02:00 the previous night and was ravenous. Ignoring the group, he concentrated on getting his meal. Lunch, thank goodness, was buffet, and the cadets were allowed to eat 'at ease'. The buffet offered a satisfying variety of choices which thankfully didn't come from a replicator. He selected freshly steamed vegetables with brown rice, thinly-sliced beef, marinated in a light brown sauce, two slices of freshly baked bread, and a generous piece of cinnamon cake to top it all off. He made his way to the cadet tables after assembling his food on his tray.

"Why'd you do that?" somebody asked who was so close to his elbow that he nearly dropped his food.

"Why did I do what?" Boma replied, reacting in a surprised manner at the close proximity of the other cadet.

'Stare down those upperclassmen! Don't you know you are dead meat!' Other nods accompanied his as they sought and found seats in the midst of their new classmates.

"Well," he responded, sensing an opportunity, "it's all in how you present yourself…" And leaning an elbow on the back on another cadet's chair, and glancing briefly backwards at the seething Finnegan, Boma began his spiel.

Samuel ate confidently and slowly as his new classmates slowly drifted away to their appointments. He knew that Finnegan and his band were waiting for him to finish eating and he wasn't going to disappoint them by making a mad dash to the door when he was finished. He knew that Finnegan and the others probably had classes to attend, so he intentionally lingered over the remains of his cinnamon dessert enjoying every bit of the crunchy crust. Finally finished, he picked up his tray and made his way to the disposal area, instinctively feeling the group moving toward the door to prevent him leaving.

A grinning Finnegan and the group moved toward Boma and surrounded him like preying jackals. Ignoring the others, Boma looked straight at Finnegan silently wondering how this scene was going to play out. 'Plebe', Finnegan said, grinning nastily, 'My name is Cadet Finnegan, and we are all third class cadets. In the future, when you enter this building, you will report to our table _first_ to ask for permission to eat in _our_ dining hall, and then we will probably have other duties for you to perform before you'll be able to attend to your own slop. Do I make myself clear?"

Boma just stared at him neither acknowledging nor affirming that he even had heard Finnegan. "Did you hear what I said, Plebe!" sneered Finnegan, giving him his most fearsome look. "We know who you are, Mr. Hooty-Tooty Boma Actor, but you are at the Academy now, and you have no special privileges." His cronies all nodded in predictable, bullying agreement. Boma didn't answer and continued to stare.

"You'd better answer me!" Finnegan yelled menacingly pushing his face closer so that his hot breath could be felt on Boma's face. Boma just stood and continued to look Finnegan in the eyes. Finnegan began to look puzzled. Normally, by this stage, the first classman would be trembling and agreeing to anything just to flee the situation.

Finnegan finally stopped his tirade long enough to stare deeply into Cadet Boma's eyes and got fidgety at what he saw. Instead of the cockiness he had expected and witnessed at the table earlier, he thought he saw a sense of resignation and sadness. Instinctively, Finnegan realized that _this_ cadet wouldn't be reporting to his table or wouldn't be taking any orders from him or his gang. This cadet didn't seem to care about Finnegan, his gang, or anything for that matter; he couldn't and wouldn't be manipulated. Despite this realization, (and just in case he was wrong…and to salvage a little pride), Finnegan decided to play his last trump, "If you don't acknowledge me, Plebe', then I will be forced to turn you in to your advisor for insubordination."

Boma finally snapped and countered in a harsh voice, "You can do what you damn well please, _Cadet_ Finnegan! I really don't care about you or your damn gang!" Boma hadn't realized how upset he had become. The quarrel with his father that morning, the late shuttle, the stupid security personnel, the oath, and the entire military setting, had begun to take its toll on him. He didn't regret the outburst, and he also didn't derive any pleasure from the outrage and surprise on the visages of Finnegan and his ilk. Seeing that he had indeed erred, Finnegan, to the stunned disbelief of his comrades, led Boma aside and laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. He said softly, "Cadet Boma, Star Fleet Academy isn't all _that _bad. Things will improve." Stunned, Boma watched as Finnegan rounded up his group and left the dining hall.

'Well done, Cadet Boma,' a disembodied voice said as the face belonging to it appeared from a hidden table somewhere to his left. "No bloodshed, no destruction of Academy property, no traces of food on your uniform…," continued Captain Christopher Pike as he gazed at the retreating backs of the upperclassmen. "I believe we have an appointment at 14:00. It's a bit early, but if you don't have anything better to you, we can get started with our discussion now."

Boma simply nodded in compliance and followed Captain Pike out of the door.

_Thanks everybody for reading and reviewing and I really appreciate the gentle nudges/criticisms that you have been so kind to leave me, because I feel as if I'm on a runaway train at the moment. grin_


	4. Chapter 4

Beautiful Music Together.

Chapter 4. Letters Home

After putting his room in military order, Boma noticed that it was only 19:00, and he had some time to spare before Spock returned. After showering, he felt too tired and irritable to communicate live with his parents, (it was too late anyway), so he decided on a written message instead.

**Hi Mom and Dad,**

**How are you? I'm feeling fine and trapped, thank you.**

**Thanks to you, Dad, I was late to the Academy checkpoint this morning. Just wanted you to know that I made a great impression on everybody. ****Dad, you really could have spared me that last minute lecture about me being the 'Savior of the Galaxy instead of An Entertainer in a Bankrupt Theatre Group' speech. Anyway, I'm here now…satisfied!**

**My room/apartment would even please you, mom. It's got a kitchen and patio! My roommate…well, actually my mentor is Vulcan, (Commander Spock). Looks like he's going to be a real hard-ass, but we'll see. ****Doesn't look like the personable type, but he seems to be fair.**

**Had a meeting with my advisor this afternoon, Captain Christopher Pike. He told me that the Star Fleet Science branch had great plans for me, (joy), but since I joined the Academy mid-term, Sciences wouldn't be getting their sticky fingers on me until after the new cadet class reports in June. Commander Spock will be coordinating my schedule and classes until then, so that when the new class reports, I will automatically be a third-year cadet. The Academy is also bringing in a civilian instructor, a Professor Richard Daystrom, to lecture the 'Fast Tracks' on computer theory. ****Captain Pike thinks that I should be able to complete the doctoral program in Physics in about two years, (how insulting); he doesn't think I'll able to complete my doctoral thesis in time to satisfy the Academy requirement. (They think that all dissertation topics have virtually been exhausted in whatever I'm going to be working on.) Big secret. **

**Gotta take boring placement tests tomorrow. ****Probably will ace them all, but Star Fleet just wants to make sure of my genius. ****(Yeh, mom, I know that I should be more humble).**

**I've yet to visit the Academy conservatory, dad, (smile), but I will do so after my exams tomorrow.**

**Will call live at the weekend.**

**Love, Sam**

**P.S. How do you like my pic? Not bad, eh Mom?**

****************************************

Belately, he also remembered he had promised to write, Lenore. With her flowing, golden hair, Lenore was a lovely, young girl, and he wished more than once that she were a bit older than her 15 years. She was a lot more mature than most girls, because she had started acting at such a young age. Boma knew that she had a crush on him, but he tried not to encourage her in any way. And even though they had to share intimate scenes on stage sometimes, she handled everything professionally. That is what he especially liked about Lenore, so he regarded it as a pleasure to play the part of her special prince.

**To My little, (just kidding), Princess Lenore,**

**Well, I promised to write, and so here I am. ****How's it going at the theater these days without me? Can't continue without me, I know, and you guys are probably still frantically searching for a replacement for someone who just, well… can't be replaced, n'est-ce pa? ****ha ha Seriously, how's the search going? **

**I'm still a little confused about how your father got that funding at the end. He must have a lot of friends in high places…he would have made a good politician. ha ha. (You can tell him that I said so, too!) Those friends of his could have been a bit more timely with their funds, though. Can't do anything about it now.**

**Guess what! I just took a virtual tour of some shops in downtown San Francisco. When/If you visit, we can go shopping for new costumes, then have a nice, quiet dinner at a little restaurant I 'toured' with a magnificent view of the Golden Gate bridge. **

**Drat this Academy, Lenore! I wonder how the Intergalactic audience would have received us. Well, maybe we'll see after this year. I really miss you, Princess. Tell your mom and dad I said, 'hi'.**

**Take care, Sweet Sugar Plum!**

**Yours,**

**Bo**

***********************************************

Lieutenant Commander Spock returned exactly at 20:00 as promised. He murmured a greeting, and perused the room upon entering…his eyes taking in every minute detail. Appearing satisfied with the order on Boma's side of the room, he went into the living room to meditate. Remembering the morning run at 05:00, Samuel shook his head and went to bed.

***********************************************

Nyota Uhura twirled with delight in front of the mirror. She had been looking forward to the fair all week long, and she even had a special dress for the occasion. Her German 'dirndl' was sky blue, and it had a crisp, pink apron which presented a fresh and spring-like appearance to her beautiful features. She had twisted her hair in a complicated braid which complemented her 'German' look. Silke, her German friend, nodded encouragingly with approval. They had both bought 'dirndls' from a small, specialty shop in downtown, 'München', and they were completing their preparations with girl-like exuberance. Horst, a friend of Silke's, waited impatiently outside for the two women, and when they finally emerged, he was stunned at their change in their appearances. He was pleased and proud to have these two beauties at his side.

It was a cheerful, spring day in 'München'. The natives seemed to have poured out from all crevices of the villages that dotted the countryside to enjoy the warm, spring day and the fair. Most of the older men wore 'Lederhosen' and many of the women were also dressed in 'dirndls'. The trio arrived at the 'Volksfest' just after midday. Even though Horst and Silke had attended many fairs, they were just excited as Nyota was, and they rode almost every breath-robbing, virtual ride that the fair had to offer. Nyota also showed her talent at firing laser pistols at funny, duck-like targets. Towards evening, everybody gravitated towards a big tent in the middle of the grounds. Rows of picnic tables had been set up with a stage dominating the center. Finding a nice place near the center, Nyota was served hot, roasted ox… especially enjoying the crispy edges… 'knödel', which tasted a bit like rolled up, soft potatoes, and a fresh, green salad.

The highlight of the meal; however, was the beer, and there was nothing virtual about THAT! It could have been the best she had ever tasted, and she was glad of the base the meal had provided for the amount of beer she had imbibed. She hoisted her refilled beer 'krug' towards Horst and Silke, smiled and made a toast to their and everyone else's health at the table in her best, southern German dialect. This brought on a round of boisterous laughter from the locals, who are always teased for the muddling of the German language.

Nyota would be moving on soon. Germany was her last stop on her concentrical tour of Europe. She was now proficient in five European languages which more than satisfied the requirements of the Academy. The Academy. Between beers and with her chin resting in the palm of her hand, she started thinking about where she would be sitting at this time in June. The months had slowly waned away, and her dream was approaching slowly like summer. Soon she would be entering the hallowed realms of Star Fleet Academy. What experiences and people awaited her there? Would she be able to attain her goals? How would she stack up against the other cadets? Who would be her roommate?

Coarse singing woke her from her reverie. Leaving her thoughts behind, she raised her 'krug' and joined in the loud and boisterous song! These guys and gals really knew how to have a good time. No one really cared about where she came from or where she was going. They just cared about the 'here and now', and that was what Nyota was going to do for the rest of the night.

_Sorry, it took so long to post. A bit of writer's block. Hopefully, you'll like it. Please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

Beautiful Music Together

Chapter 5. The First Month

Boma dragged himself out of bed at 04:30 to prepare for his customary morning run with Lieutenant Commander Spock. After living with Spock for a little more than month now, he still didn't particularly like getting up so early to run and exercise. He glanced over at the other bed which he knew would be unoccupied; Spock was already meditating. Groggily, he headed to the washroom where he dashed his face with cold water. Then he glanced at himself in the mirror studying the big brown eyes that gazed back at him. The eyes couldn't offer any answers to his predicament so he doused himself again. Well, at least, Boma concluded after his ablution, he was now able to keep up with Spock when they ran together. He had to admit that he was getting into better shape as he admired his muscular, toned-up physique. He would be in top shape when he eventually left Star Fleet.

After their morning run, which included two brutal uphills, Spock and Boma returned to their quarters, washed up, and ate a quick breakfast. Spock then queried Boma on his assigned lessons from the previous day. Boma always felt under intense pressure during these private sessions. He felt like he was under a giant microscope with a huge lens trained on him, with questions being fired down at him from an exacting computer. One wrong answer and z_ap_!... life form obliterated.

Today's queries were on Star Fleet History and his familiarity with the USS Kelvin:

'**What was the official designation of the USS Kelvin and for whom was it named after?' Spock asked, starting off with easy questions.**

'**NCC-0514. Lord Kelvin, renowned physicist and engineer,' Boma quipped.**

'**What is the motto of Star Fleet Academy? **

'**Ex Astris, Scientia' which means 'from the stars, knowledge'.**

For the next 30 minutes, many other questions of this general nature followed, fired out at pistol speed without any hesitation from the questioner. After each answer, Spock enunciated an increasingly annoying, 'correct'. He sounded as if he were in some type of trance. When he was satisfied, Spock leaned slightly back in his chair, stempled his fingers, and engaged Boma in a discussion of current topics from his Theoretical Physics class. Boma rather thought that Spock was enjoying their conversation from the slight, dreamy expression on his face. Boma pursed his lips impatiently and waited for the topic to exhaust itself. Finally, Spock left for his classes, and Boma found he had an hour left to put the finishing touches on his computer program for his upcoming Computer Theory class.

It was Wednesday, one of the brighter spots of his week; Professor Daystrom's Computer Theory class. He really liked and respected Professor Daystrom even though he didn't particularly like the class. He was still a little early when he set out, but he needed a little fresh air anyway, and he took his time walking to the Computer Hall. A couple of cadets that he knew waved a tired, 'good morning' in his direction. He grinned and waved back having got back into their good graces by standing up to Finnegan, (the word having got around). Unfortunately, he didn't have much to do with his mid-term classmates since he was on 'Fast Track'. As he entered the classroom, he noticed that the other 'fast tracker' was already there. She was sitting at a long, black, rectangular, computer simulation table which dominated the center of the room, working on their computer program.

"Hi, Liz, how's it going?" greeted Boma, sliding onto the upholstered bench opposite her.

Cadet Elizabeth Dehner, who was studying Psychiatry, looked up from her work and gave him a smile.

"Good morning, Sam. Everything's okay," said Dehner, her sensuous lips parted in greeting. Boma had never felt comfortable around her. He had the feeling he was always being analyzed, and frankly, her penetrating eyes gave him the creeps.

Dehner already had her Computer Theory PADD placed on its spot on the simulation table and was analyzing her part of the program against the entire simulation. Boma reached deeply into his bag and dug out his Computer Theory PADD and placed it directly next to Dehner's so the PADDs were touching. The simulation took on additional dimensions, and Boma and Dehner began to work earnestly combining their programs to bring their work to completion.

They were both in deep concentration when they simultaneously looked up from their work. They had sensed his presence before he entered the room, and they stood up immediately upon the entrance of Professor Richard Daystrom. He walked in quickly and waved an affable hand that they should resume their seats. Professor Daystrom was always smiling. He possessed a deep, rich voice which evinced his bluff personality and sense of humor. He was always trying to convince Boma to give up Physics and take up a _real_ career in Computer Theory. Boma just laughed and suggested that the Professor have a talk with Star Fleet Sciences knowing that even this great man would run up against a brick wall.

Professor Daystrom had previously worked with Elizabeth Dehner when she was still a civilian. She had helped form the psychological parameters for the updated version of the current 'no –win' scenario, 'The USS Kelvin', which all cadets were currently required to take. Despite some reservations, Dehner had worked on the scenario, but recommended that Star Fleet look into creating another scenario since the USS Kelvin was too personal for many people. Her insights into finding the best ways to test and measure strength of character and stress tolerations of cadets had convinced Daystrom to talk Star Fleet into recruiting Dehner. After a satisfying, illustrius career, (although, he wasn't quite finished), Professor Daystrom thoroughly enjoyed teaching the next generation of gifted students. Much to his chagrin, the third member of the 'Fast Track' team hadn't reported yet because of security issues.

After putting the finishing touches on their program, Dehner and Boma indicated to Professor Daystrom that it was ready to be tested. Smiling and laying his CT PADD in its designated place on the table top which had taken on a bright, yellow hue, the Professor watched as his 'purple' circled the 'yellow' hesitantly trying to find a breach into the heart of their program. The purple was immediately assailed by 'laser daggars', (Boma's addition), and when the purple try to penetrate a seemingly unguarded pathway, it was greeted by bright, red smiley faces, (Dehner's touch). Boma and Dehner looked on triumphantly as their yellow held off the purple. But as the 'dance' continued concern mounted on their faces. The purple had begun to make in-roads into their program, and the outcome became increasingly clear as purple now dominated the transparent glass of the computer simulation.

Professor Daystrom chuckled and said, 'Not bad for a Physicist and a Psychiatrist!'

'14 minutes against the renowned, Professor Daystrom, I think that our program was exceptional…a little better than 'not bad," Boma said, looking at Dehner for confirmation.

Daystrom smiled, obviously enjoying himself, pointed a finger at Boma and said, 'You think that…you thought that _that_ was MY computer PADD?'

Do you think I really had to bring my full powers to bear against…ahem… you two light-weights?' he said, tsking and needling Boma and Dehner, his voice taking on a comedic tinge.

'Whose program was it?' Dehner asked, taking the bait with a slightly disappointed look on her face.

'Ahh…this program belonged to one of my best students,' he said, looking surreptiously at Boma. 'Cadet Spock, now Lieutenant Commander,' he declared, removing Spock's PADD from the computer table.

Boma groaned. Daystrom pressed a button clearing the simulation from the table and blew imaginary dust specks from another PADD that he had taken out and placed it on the table. The new program spread out quickly in apparently three dimensions, and with Dehner and Boma looking on in disbelief, their yellow changed to purple in less than 5 minutes.

'That's the work of an old master!' chortled Professor Daystrom, rubbing his hands in satisfaction.

Boma's eyes narrowed and Dehner let out an airy laugh.

'Please continue to work on your program,' the professor said still grinning, 'I'll give you the solution and suggestion PADD next week.'

*****************************************************************************************************************

Boma returned to his room in a light-hearted mood. The Professor always managed to do this. Spock hadn't returned so he made himself a quick snack and relaxed a bit on the living room couch. A message had been sent to him in the middle of Computer Theory, and now he took the time to leisurely read it. His mood suddenly dampened and his lips twisted disagreeably in jealously as he scanned the message. The Kodos company had the audacity to find a replacement for him! And they would be beginning their tour in September! Lenore continued on excitingly and innocently describing the new actor, but Boma had stopped reading. Somehow he had thought that they would wait for him, but obviously, they were going on without him. Throwing down his PADD in disgust, he somberly reflected and realized…

Life apparently did go on, even without him.

******************************************************************************************************************

Meanwhile, Spock stood in his customary spot before Captain Pike's desk. Pike waved him to a seat indicating that it would be an informal meeting.

'Commander Spock, how is your charge, Cadet Boma, coming along?' Pike asked, looking optimistically.

Spock answered confidently, 'Mr. Boma has been in Star Fleet for 1.2 months. He has excelled in all of his classes. He is advancing admirably in my chosen subjects, and he is on track to finish the curriculum required for second class cadets by June when the first class officially arrives. His knowledge of Physics is unparalleled, only Lieutenant Scott of Star Fleet Engineering has a better combined knowledge of Physics and Engineering. Our discussions of Physics have been both rewarding and intellectually stimulating,' Spock finished, with logical flourish.

'Commander,' continued Pike, leaning back in his chair, 'when I gave you this assignment, I also stipulated that Cadet Boma should be persuaded to continue in Star Fleet. Have you attained this goal?'

Spock cocked his head slightly and said, 'Cadet Boma has been highly efficient. He has obtained the respect of his instructors and peers. He has also received a rare and positive evaluation from Professor Daystrom. Why shall he not be satisfied with a commission in Star Fleet?'

'Commander Spock, it is obvious that you've researched leadership styles and gathered specifics into which benchmarks can be used to measure and evaluate your students and subordinates. But from personal experience, a commander must also learn to know his crew. The psychological well-being of your crew is also a very important aspect of leadership. And since this is a one-on-one assignment, you have the opportunity to take out more time to personally know your charge. You won't have this luxury later when you are in command of a starship.'

Seeing Spock's perplexity grow, Pike offered, 'What do you know about, Cadet Boma personally? Have you done anything together?'

Spock instinctively knew that going on morning runs at 05:00 every morning wouldn't satisfy Captain Pike's requirement of 'doing things together', so he wisely remained silent.

Captain Pike sighed. 'Commander, being a leader is not only looking at and evaluating efficiency reports, but also interacting with your underlings to get to know 'how they tick'. What makes Cadet Boma tick? Is he really happy? Is he going to stay in Star Fleet?" Pike said, emphasizing the last sentence. 'These are the questions that I need answers to, Commander, the next time we discuss Cadet Boma. Dismissed.'

*****************************************************************************************************************

Samuel Boma sat in his quarters looking over his assignments for the next day. He would be finished with Spock's assignments and his regular homework within the hour. He hated the Academy. The only respite he found was his time spent at the conservatory; and of course, his class with Professor Daystrom. It was almost time to go to the conservatory when Boma's head rose wearyingly from his studies. At the same moment, Commander Spock walked through the door. Boma never ceased to be amazed as to the number of times Spock had appeared when he had just completed his assignments.

'If you have a moment, Cadet Boma,' Spock said, as he entered the room.

Before Boma could mount a protest, he continued saying, 'I know it is your custom to leave for the conservatory at 17:00 every evening, but I must speak with you of a matter of importance.

_Sounds serious_, Boma thought to himself. He leaned back in his chair to listen.

'The next class will be reporting in June. You are proceeding though my syllabus at an extraordinary pace, and your progress has been excellent. It may be that our tests do not have the capacity to measure your true potential.'

Cadet Boma barely nodded and rolled his eyes to himself being used to such phrases and praises and wished Spock would get to the point so he could leave. Commander Spock expected a slight puffing of Boma's chest or a slight rise of his chin that humans affected when being praised. When Cadet Boma barely reacted and didn't reply, Spock simply asked, 'Cadet Boma, are you happy?'

'No, I'm not, Commander.' Boma answered with more alacrity than Spock was expecting.

'Are you contemplating leaving Star Fleet at the end of your probation period in December'?

"Yes, Commander…I'm considering it."

Spock hid his surprise, wondering how Captain Pike had anticipated these problems with this Cadet, and he had not.

"We have lived together for 1.2 months, Cadet Boma, and I think that perhaps it is time to get to know each other on a more personal basis,' Spock said swiftly changing gears.

Cadet Boma disagreed. He liked the relationship the way it was and said so.

"Nevertheless", Commander Spock answered persistently, refusing to be put off, "May I accompany you to the conservatory this evening? I also have an interest in music."

"You…have an interest in music. Can you sing, act, or dance? The conservatory is always looking for new talent," Boma answered dryly.

"I can play an instrument, Cadet," Spock said, ignoring Boma's sarcasm. Spock walked over to his closet, opened it, and withdrew a Vulcan lyre which was carefully wrapped in a well-textured fabric. After removing the cover, he sat across from Boma and carefully tuned the instrument.

Intrigued, Boma turned and watched curiously as Spock hands expertly tuned and adjusted the strings and knobs of the beautiful instrument. He had heard of a Vulcan lyre, but never had the chance to listen to one. He even knew the tune that Spock was beginning to strum, and he instinctly began to hum. Spock played the instrument with skill, and Boma found himself evaluating his mentor in another light. Gone was the strict teacher, and a softer side emerged from the Vulcan as the music penetrated Boma's soul.

When Spock finished the song, Boma resisted the urge to ask for another. Impressed, but still reluctant to allow Spock into his private sphere, Boma decided to test him.

"Well, Commander. I'll be happy to show you what I do around the conservatory… if we can skip our morning run tomorrow," Boma said slyly, eyeing Spock and waiting for his response.

Spocked looked at Boma narrowly and reluctantly agreed.

Bypassing public transportation, Commander Spock and Cadet Boma decided to take a leisurely route to the conservatory by walking the pathways parallel to the moving walkways which were located on all major routes. Boma wished he had known of their existence on his initial walk to his quarters. He frowned remembering that fateful day.

Spock decided to take the opportunity to find out more about the Cadet, but Boma cut him off before he could pose a question.

'Why did you really want to come with me to the conservatory?' demanded Boma.

'I find it necessary that we get to know each other.'

'And you think that hanging around the conservatory with me will achieve your goal.'

'I thought perhaps it would be a good start.'

'Well, nothing is really going on at the conservatory tonight, because many cadets have major exams this week. So I have a better idea. Do you play ping-pong?'

Spock hesitated as if weighing and contemplating something. Boma didn't think that it was such a complicated question. Something won out, and Spock agreed. The two returned to their quarters, changed into athletic gear, and headed to the Recreational Hall.

******************************************************************************************************************

The Recreational Hall stood adjacent to the huge Star Fleet Academy Sports Complex. The Recreational Hall was where most cadets came to relax and spend their free time without having to go off-campus. The Sports Complex had table tennis tables, but they chose the more informal setting of the Rec Hall. The table tennis room was enclosed in transparent glass keeping in the noise of over-excited players and the sometimes annoying tap-tap-tap of ping-pong balls. The room was occupied when Spock and Boma entered, and a familiar body whirled around as he heard the door to the room open.

'Well, well, well', what _do_ we have here?' exclaimed Cadet Finnegan, wringing his hands in delight. 'If it isn't my ex-roommate, Cadet…ahhhh Lieutenant Commander, Spock! And Cadet Boma! Hey, Boma, if you have a need of someone for that new play I've been hearing about…I'm your man!' Finnegan said, whirling around and doing a little dance step.

Finnegan's friends were lounging in various positions on chairs and benches that littered the room. They chuckled as Finnegan nearly jammed his hip into the edge of a ping-pong table while doing his little jig. Two of Finnegan's friends had ignored the presentation being involved in a furious match.

Spock didn't look at all surprised having calculated the probability at 94.5 percent that Finnegan and his friends would be occupying the table tennis room at that moment. 'Good evening, Sean. It's nice to see you, again.'

Boma whispered in disbelief, 'You…were roommates with him?'

'Yes, I was Cadet Boma,' Spock replied evenly. 'And you are also acquainted with Cadet Finnegan, I see.'

'Only briefly, sir,' Boma said without elaborating.

'You guys weren't looking for a game of ping-pong, were you?' Finnegan said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. 'Maybe me and say one of my pals,' he continued, waving his hand airily at the space behind and around him, 'against you two?'

In fact, we _were_ looking to play a game, if we were able to find adequate competition', Spock said cooly.

'Not bad, Spock, not bad at all,' chuckled Finnegan, praising his ex-roommate's quick retort and clapping him on his shoulder with unwanted familiarity.

'Then choose your racquets, gentlemen!' Finnegan said, grinning evilly, spreading his wide smile to encompass his friends in the room.

Spock and Boma sifted through the pile of rackets trying to pick out suitable ones. Many of the rackets were worn from use…or ill use. Finding the most suitable, Spock deftly caught the ping-pong ball that Finnegan suddenly tossed to him.

Boma was wondering whose Finnegan's opponent would be when Spock, bouncing the ball expertly on his racket, shocked Boma by saying, 'Of course, there must be a wager, Sean.'

Finnegan tried to look surprised and with feigned innocence said, 'Spock, what a great idea! Now why didn't I think of that?'

Spock looked at Finnegan and said, "I'm sure the idea would have occurred to you shortly."

Finnegan smiled and rubbing his chin said, 'Well, since you mention a wager…there just happens to be a lovely lady who works at Sandavol's Horticultural Center that I'm dying to meet.

'And the woman being of some quality, won't have anything to do with you,' Spock countered quickly.

Finnegan's friends snickered then stopped as he turned a warning eye on them.

'How do you know that I've met her?'

'You would not be asking _me_ for my help if she were amenable,' Spock quipped.

'If I win this game, Spock, you must put in a good word for me. A word from a Vulcan should be good enough to convince the beautiful lady of my real feelings and honorable intentions,' said Finnegan laying a sincere hand over his heart. 'Just tell her you and I were roommates, Spock, and answer her questions about me…positively, of course.'

'And if I win?' Spock asked.

'I'm so confident in our skill, or the lack of yours, that you can ask for anything that you want. Vulcans are fair so I will trust your discretion.'

Boma and Spock looked at each other. Spock hesitated scanning the room of sullen faces. Finnegan's friends had schooled their looks, but their eyes shifting craftingly. He knew all of them from earlier times, and couldn't quite figure out why Finnegan was so confident.

Spock accepted the wager. 'Then let the games begin!' Finnegan said, clapping his hands eagerly.

Finnegan moved to his side of the table, and Boma stared at Finnegan still wondering whom he was going to partner. At that moment, a figure emerged from the washroom wiping his hands on the front of his shirt. Finnegan smiled brilliantly, delighted at the timing, and asked the newcomer in fluent Cantonese to join him at the table for doubles. The newcomer paused, looked at the scene, and calmly and non-chalantly agreed. He walked over and opened a previously unseen case and withdrew a glistening table tennis racquet. He professionally wiped the surfaces of his racquet with a damp sponge making sure no dust was sticking to the surface.

Finnegan said, after observing Boma's bulging eyes, 'Oh, this is Wu,' answering the unspoken query. "He's on a two-month exchange from China."

Meanwhile, Wu was blowing on the surface of his table tennis racket gently wiping away the excess dampness with his t-shirt, and totally psyching Boma out. He strutted confidently to Finnegan's side, and struck a menacing, athletic pose. Boma looked warying at Spock, and Spock knew that he had been tricked by Finnegan. There was a small probability; however, that he could have been mistaken, and indicated that he would begin, and served the ball swiftly to the Chinese player. The ball was returned with a wicked topspin drive to Cadet Boma's backhand and was out of reach before Boma could lift his racquet.

'1-0 for us,' Finnegan beamed. His friends were bursting with laughter.

*****************************************************************************************************************

You didn't inform me of your lack of skill in table tennis, Cadet Boma.' Spock said later after exiting the recreation hall.

Boma shrugged and said, 'You didn't ask. Besides, I asked you to play 'ping-pong' and not table tennis. Finnegan's partner definitely played the latter.'

Boma glanced sidelong at Spock, realized something and said, 'Finnegan tricked you and you know it, and now you are trying to shift the blame to me.'

Spock looked like he was going to grin, but Boma couldn't trust himself to believe it. Continuing Boma said, 'But I have to admit, I did have fun. When I realized that we really didn't have a chance, I purposely swung my racket and hit the ball as hard as possible. And as you observed I was able to peg Finnegan a couple of times in the chest...and one time, I barely missed his head.'

Although Spock wouldn't admit it, he also enjoyed the game, especially the skill of the Chinese player. But he only said, 'We must go to Sandavol's Horticultural Center and speak to this young lady.'

Boma stopped walking and looked at Spock, not believing what he had just heard, "What do you mean, 'we', Commander. It was your bet!"

Spock turned to look at Boma, and Boma now knew that he had not imagined the first grin, as a sign of a slim smile tugged at the corner of the Vulcan's mouth. Boma laughed realizing that the Vulcan had also tricked him and was reaching out in friendship and it was up to Boma to determine if he wanted to cement the new relationship.

Boma relented and said, "Okay, since we both tacitly agreed to this wager, and we don't have to go on that morning run tomorrow," he said reminding the Vulcan, "I'll go with you."

They walked a little longer in silence.

Spock said, 'Since we have lived together for more than one month now, during the rest of our time together as roommates, you may call me Spock.'

"I guess that makes me 'Samuel,' Boma replied. 'By the way, did you get that girl's name?'

'Yes. Her name is Leila Kalomi.'

***************************************************************************************************************

_Sorry, it took so long, but the story is a little longer this time. Please take the time to review! I really want to hear your opinions. (Thanks to all who have taken the time to review. I really appreciate it!!!)_


	6. Chapter 6

_You may or may not have recognized the following characters mentioned in the last chapter, but please_ _remember, there may be some character changes in this story due to the alternate time line, and I took full advantage of the opportunity especially taking liberty with Dr. Daystrom._

_You can enjoy them in their original appearances:_

_Dr. Richard Daystrom – The Ultimate Computer (TOS)_

_Leila Kalomi – This Side of Paradise (TOS)_

_Dr Elizabeth Dehner – Where No Man Has Gone Before (TOS)_

_And in this story - 'The Man Trap'._

_I don't own any of these characters, by the way. And I'm not being paid for this work._

**Beautiful Music Together**.

Field Trip

Boma and Spock had actually wanted to make good on their bet immediately, but Spock had been informed by Finnegan, that the girl wouldn't be available until the end of June, being off-planet collecting exotic specimens for the horticultural center.

Meanwhile, classes continued and the monotony of the Academy was wearing thin on Boma with another boring month having passed by. Currently, there was a lull in his studies since he had completed his major exams the week before, and for the first time in a long time, Boma didn't have much to do.

He sat on the edge of his bed, deep in thought, drumming his fingers on the bed frame, and looking at his PADD. He didn't feel like talking to Lenore, because he knew that she would babble on about his replacement, Dirklo, or whatever his stupid name was. He also didn't want to infect his parents with his bad mood, knowing that he was only inviting a lecture, so he rejected contacting them, too.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Spock had quietly entered their sleeping area, having finished his meditating. Boma just ignored him and continued thinking about what he could do to break the monotony. Noticing movement, Boma shifted his eyes and noticed that Spock had started tidying up his side of the room, (like it really needed cleaning…probably spying on him). Annoyed, Boma suddenly got up, went to his closet, and began searching his storage area for his civilian clothes. Finding a not-so-wrinkled shirt, he laid it on his bed, and began shucking his uniform. He heard a bit of rustling going on behind him, turned, and noticed that Spock had also laid a rather plain looking shirt on his bed. Boma wondered at this for he had never seen Spock in anything except Star Fleet issue.

'Are you preparing to go somewhere, Spock?' asked Boma curiously, wondering at the coincidence.

'I noticed that you were preparing to leave…,' Spock said, deftly shifting the emphasis, 'off-base, perhaps, since you have taken out your civilian clothes.'

'Yes, I was going to check out downtown San Francisco,' Boma said, wondering where this conversation would lead, 'but what does that have to do with your preparations?'

'I intend to accompany you, since you haven't earned any off-base privileges yet.'

Boma turned angrily and faced Spock squarely, 'What do you mean I don't have any off-base privileges. What is this place anyway, a Federation detention center?'

'I'm sorry, Samuel, but first year cadets usually don't get off-base privileges until September. You can go off-base only if you are accompanied by an officer.'

'You're my mentor, not my babysitter!

'Nevertheless, I must accompany you,' Spock said, unperturbed.

Boma regarded that now familiar unrelenting jawline and knew he had no chance of persuading the Vulcan to let him go unaccompanied.

'Okay, Spock. Since you insist on tagging along, I will tell you _our_ itinerary for today,' Boma stated, seizing control of the situation.

He quickly outlined his plans.

'Very well, Samuel,' Spock replied.

Boma gave Spock a final, narrow look and continued to dress. After finding a matching pair of trousers, he glanced briefly over at Spock and looked skeptically at his progress.

"Uhhh….I hope you're not thinking about going out _with me_ in those!' said Boma pointing, as Spock pulled a doubtful looking pair of trousers out of his closet to match the bland shirt. Boma instantly anticipating another argument... but he was determined to win this one... said, 'You've gotta to be kidding!' His voice rose in dismay. 'Do you really think that we're not going to impress any women while you are wearing something like that?!'

Boma pursing his lips stubbornly and said, 'You're not going out with me looking like that!' Boma said, shaking his head briskly from side-to-side.

Spock looked at his clothes. He had actually been proud of his choices. While not Vulcan robes, they were of the same material. The shirt and trousers were of a light, grey color, and the excursion jacket was adequate enough for their travels. At least he had thought so.

'My aim is only to accompany you on your excursion to the downtown area. I don't see what the style of my clothing has to do this function.'

'If you are _accompanying me_, as you put it, then clothing has a lot to do with it.' Not bothering to argue anymore, Boma said, 'Spock. I hope you have some spare credits on your account, because we're going to do a little shopping before making the nightly rounds, my friend.'

***********************

The trip to downtown San Francisco was uneventful. They easily located the clothing store which was perched on top of a steep hill. Boma had found the store on his virtual tour through San Francisco. It carried every type of clothing imaginable, from classic earth styles to current extra-terrestrial styles; formal and informal wear; costumes for the theatre, well… everything. Upon entering the shop, they were automatically scanned for their dimensions. They took a quick look around and walked over to the selection PADDs which were on tables in the corner of the room. They sat in some comfortable chairs, removed the tiny wands which were adjacent to the PADDs, and started to scan the vast database of clothing.

Boma browsed briskly through his PADD, while Spock was a little more deliberate, having never had the opportunity to shop in this fashion before. Finding a nice, shirt/trouser combination, Boma pointed the PADD wand at his life-sized hologram which had appeared in the air in front of him. His selections were immediately transferred to the hologram. Moving his wand, he turned his figure around and looked at it from every angle. He noticed that the shirt didn't suit his lean figure too well. He pointed the wand to display the same combo on Spock's hologram, and he rather thought that the combination favored Spock a bit more. Spock wasn't too impressed; however, and he pointed his wand tentatively at his hologram which displayed a more conservative look. Boma rolled his eyes in exasperation and shook his head.

A clerk had meanwhile walked over and offered to assist the two. They politely declined, so he left them to assist other customers who had just walked in. Spock and Boma went back to scanning for other selections. Spock simply just didn't have a clue as to what was fashionable or not, always selecting clothing that was hopelessly outdated.

Losing patience with Spock, Boma came across a costume from earth's history and mischieviously aimed his wand at Spock's hologram. Maybe this design would be conservative enough for his roommate, and perhaps Spock would understand what he was trying to accomplish with their shopping. When Spock turned to look at his hologram, it was dressed in caveman's garb, complete with a wooden club. Saying nothing and ignoring Boma, he changed his hologram to another selection which was slightly better than his other choices, and asked Boma for his opinion. Boma said it was an improvement, but that it was last year's fashion and to please try again.

Boma turned and began scanning again. Spock taking advantage of this lapse, pointed his wand at Boma's hologram. When Boma looked up, his hologram figure was dressed in Grecian clothing complete with a wreath and sandals. Samuel muffled a grin when he looked at Spock, who pretended to be scanning for other selections. When Spock looked up again, his hologram displayed a tutu with pink ribbons. Not bothering being secretive anymore, they took swipes at each other's holograms. Samuel laughed at Spock's ingenuity, the latest being a clown costume complete with a red nose.

Observing and enduring the prolonged exchange, the clerk finally came over, and gave them both a severe look. Feeling thoroughly chastened, they finally accepted the clerk's help who ended up playing the role of arbitrator. Finally satisfied, Spock and Boma left the shop. Spock was now dressed in a light, green shirt and snug-fitting slacks that emphasized the sleekness of his body. Boma had had his purchases delivered to the Academy happy with the clothing he had already selected for that evening.

*********************************

Nyota Uhura stepped tentatively off the civilian transport. She was three weeks early, but there were other cadets on the transport who had also reported to the Academy early. Many candidates were from off-world locations and couldn't arrange other dates for their arrival. The Academy had agreed to put the cadet candidates up in special dormitories until the class was officially sworn in. She had met another cadet on her flight in, Christine Chapel. They agreed to room together in the cadet candidate dorms. Hopefully, they could be roommates later, because Christine seemed to be the studious and quiet type which would suit Nyota.

The extremely attractive guy that she kept looking at during her flight was no longer sitting in the corner of the shuttle. In fact, she didn't see him anywhere! This was virtually impossible, because she had just seen him, and he couldn't have slipped by. He had looked African despite his lighter skin tone, and he was incredibly handsome. She seemed drawn to him, and she had very much wanted to meet him. Funny, this was totally out of character for her. Extremely puzzled, she asked Christine about him, but she only shrugged, more interested in getting though security and on to the Academy. Uhura frowned, and Christine, noticing her disappointment, dragged her down the last steps before she could re-investigate her thoughts.

Everyone was processed quickly and herded onto two, large waiting ground cars, except for one cadet candidate who was having some sort of security problem. The security guard signalled the transport that the problem could last awhile, so the decision was made to leave and pick up the cadet later. The ground cars moved away from the checkpoint slowly as Nyota's final leg to Star Fleet Academy began. Her stomach began to churn. She looked at the other cadets that had accompanied her, and realized that every cadet was 'the cream of the crop' from whatever world they had come from. She silently wondered how she would measure against her future classmates.

Christine nudged Nyota awake from her dreams as they made the last winding turn into Star Fleet Academy. Then she saw it and froze! The view was breathtaking as the Academy entrance stood in majestic splendor. Nyota realized at that moment that this would be her new home in the years to come. She took a deep breath. The first step of her new journey was nearly complete. Nyota Uhura had arrived at Star Fleet Academy.

The ground car veered left from the Academy entrance, much to Nyota's chagrin; however, and turned right into an area with non-descript buildings. Nyota realized with great disappointment that her dream of entering the Academy grounds would have to wait another day. The cadet candidates were shown to their temporary quarters, and told that there would be a tour of the Academy the following day. Christine looking at her new friend and knew she was still brooding over that guy she had seen on the shuttle and suggested a quick trip into San Francisco that night before the 'rules and regulations committee' decided to clamp down on them. Giggling at Christine's quip, they found a room and got settled.

Later that evening, relaxed and refreshed from their trip, Nyota and Christine weaved their way through the downtown area of San Francisco. Nyota found out quickly that Christine only _seemed_ like the quiet type and was quite startled when she started to let her hair down as their destination, (wherever they were headed), drew nearer. Nyota had to admit that Christine looked very attractive, in her simple, but form-fitting black dress which showed off her long, shapely legs... and with her blond hair splashing about her shoulders giving her a seductive look. Nyota, still thinking about the cadet on the shuttle, had pulled her hair up into a bun, not expecting or wanting to meet anybody. But Christine's excitement was contagious and Nyota loosened up a bit as they found their first bar and entered it.

*********************************************

An Ensign escorted a sexy, brunette, cadet candidate across the Academy grounds to Captain Pike's office. The cadet ignored him as he flirted and leered at her the entire way. Finally arriving, he chimed the door. The cadet walked tentatively into Captain Pike's office when the door slid open, and the Ensign boldly followed. Startled, Captain Pike rose suddenly from his chair and stared in disbelief! The figure who had just entered his office was of his late fiancee´. The Ensign who was still standing transfixed and captivated by the cadet was ordered sharply out of the room. The figure apologized and finally succeeded in settling into a neutral human image while Captain Pike recovered.

'Where's your bracelet, Cadet?' Pike growled, barely able to contain his rage. 'You were instructed to wear it at all times on Academy grounds!'

'I apologize, Captain Pike', the Fotiallan stammered nervously, 'but it was malfunctioning on the shuttle and Security confiscated it when I came through the checkpoint. They said that something was emanating from it… and since they hadn't received any authorization about it, they confiscated it.'

Ashamed at his own reaction, but still seeing red, Captain Pike, pressed a button on his desk. For the next 10 minutes, Captain Pike, with his voice, flayed the skin off two security officers, the Admissions officer, and an Ensign. He then had a heated discussion with Star Fleet Sciences. Within 30 minutes, the defective bracelet was delivered in a non-descript box by a very nervous Yeoman.

_Cowards, but they were clever in sending a Yeoman on this delivery,_ Pike thought. Knowing the Yeoman wasn't responsible for the security lapse, he tooked the proffered box in a friendly way. Carefully opening the box, he removed the bracelet and handed it to the new cadet.

'The Yeoman will escort you to Star Fleet Sciences. The repair of your bracelet has been given top priority. After your bracelet is repaired, you will report back to me, and I'll give you a better introduction to Star Fleet Academy and the Fast Track program that we've prepared for you,' Pike said, affecting a weak smile.

'I know you are a young Fotiallan, but please try to concentrate and maintain a neutral image,' he said, his voice taking on a softer texture as he saw the hurt in the Fotiallan's eyes. 'I know that you are unable to control the emotions of the people around you, but I ask you to try to concentrate anyway until your bracelet is repaired.'

'I apologize, Sir.'

'Not entirely your fault, Cadet,' Pike said. 'I must apologize. I just haven't thought of her for such long a…'

Pike cut off his sentence, straightened, and gestured to the Yeoman to take charge of the cadet and simply said, 'Welcome to Star Fleet Academy, Cadet Salva.'

_**Sorry for the delay, just wanted to make the story as interesting as possible. I hope I succeeded. For better or worse, please review, please review**._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

**Beautiful Music Together**

At First Glance

After they had left the shop, Boma and Spock wound their way through the streets and the unseasonably bright evening of San Francisco. Spock squirmed a little in his new clothes, since he wasn't used to the tight cling of his trousers and shirt. Boma assured him that he looked stylish and not to worry…his clothes would settle…new clothes were always that way. Spock relaxed a little and mused at Boma's reassurances.

He had never had a _real_ friend before, and definitely not a friendship with a human male. Upon reflection, he had actually enjoyed his time shopping for clothing with Samuel. He never realized that such a trivial process as buying clothing could be so interesting. He had no real desire to repeat the experience, though. He had read up on human relationships before leaving Vulcan, never thinking that he would get the chance to put his knowledge into practical use. He had found, up to now, that professional, distant relationships worked well within a military framework.

But then came Captain Pike's influence in his career. Captain Pike definitely filled the role as mentor, and he recognized right away that Finnegan represented a slight aberration in normal human behavior. Samuel provided a sort of comradeship that he had never experienced before. Someone, who was not related to him that seemed to care, no matter how friviously, about him as a person.

At first, all eyes were on Samuel as he cut a fashionable path through the streets of the evening life of San Francisco. He was getting used to being recognized again...and liking it...and even posed for a couple of PADD pics for some of his fans. But as the evening drew on, more and more female eyes started to turn and to take interest in his companion. Boma noticed Spock's discomfort as he looked over at Spock as a group of women were scrutinizing the handsome Vulcan. Boma grinned when the women started whispering and giggling behind their hands. Spock, of course, could hear every embarrassing word.

Boma was having a good time. It was nice being away from the oppressiveness of the Academy, and he was fully enjoying civilian life once more. Spock wasn't too bad to have around, either. Boma also suspected that the Vulcan was even relaxing a bit in his company.

'I think that you're going to be quite a hit tonight, Spock! Brighten up, will you? Many guys would give a lot to be in your position, believe me. Aren't you glad that you decided to accompany me tonight?' Boma said, in a teasing way.

Spock gave Boma a decidedly stern look. Boma just ignored him, continued his grinning, and patted Spock companionably on the shoulder. Spock resisted a wince at the familiarity, but remembered this was also part of male comradeship.

They finally found the casual bar that Boma had wanted to visit. It wasn't crowded yet, so they were able to get a decent table for two in a dim corner where they could easily observe incoming patrons while having some measure of privacy. After ordering some beverages, they settled comfortably into their chairs. They remained silent until their drinks were delivered. Not wanting to sit in silence the entire evening, Boma decided to break the ice.

'Spock, I've been wanting to ask you. How on earth did you survive being roommates with Finnegan?'

Spock paused and reflected on the question. 'It wasn't entirely disagreeable. I learned many things about human habits, customs, and some interesting vocabulary.... I consider our brief association a success.'

Boma didn't believe a diplomatic word of that little speech, and decided to probe a bit deeper into the psyche of his enigmatic friend. At that moment; however, a nice looking Orion female with a female friend, entered the bar. He smiled at them as they looked over, taking a look at the merchandise. They smiled back, but made their way to the left side of the bar. Boma sighed. The Orion female had definitely looked interested. Spock emitted no reaction at all from the curious and interested glances in his direction which prompted Boma to ask a bit too callously, 'Have you ever had a girlfriend, Spock'?

Spock turned a little green at the ears. Again he paused, not used to such direct, personal questioning about himself. He carefully considered the question. Boma, noticing his discomfiture, almost withdrew the question when Spock answered suddenly, 'Actually, Samuel, I had a wife.'

Samuel, who was expecting a negative answer, gaped at Spock not knowing what to say. Reluctantly, Spock slowly gave Boma a limited explanation about T'Pring and the termination of their 'marriage'. Spock actually found the experience of discussing this unpleasant event as a relief. He wondered at this feeling, because he was used to keeping personal things to himself. He told Samuel that she'd loved another Vulcan named Stonn, (that shifty-eyed weasel, Spock thought, drawing on colorful metaphors learned from the dictionary of Sean Finnegan). Also, it hadn't helped that Spock had denied the Vulcan Science Academy and left Vulcan for Earth.

'Well, that doesn't sound like any relationship to me since you were bonded as children,' Boma remarked, as Spock finished his story. Spock gave Boma a look which suggested that he drop the subject.

The bar was filling up quickly. Some guys had just walked in and settled at a table adjacent to Spock and Boma's. Boma groaned inwardly, because they looked like the scholarly type. They seemed to be civilian students from the looks of them from the nearby university. They weren't too bad looking, but he hoped that these fellows wouldn't scare the ladies away from their side of the room. One of the guys began introducing himself when he got caught looking over.

'Dr. Roger Korby,' he announced with a slightly, nasally twang, 'and this is Dr. Aaron Brown, my assistant.'

Spock and Boma introduced themselves. Roger Korby took an instant interest in Spock, and vice versa, and they quickly became engaged in a discussion about the university.

Boma grinned weakly at the entire scene.

'You look vaguely familiar,' Brown said, looking at Boma.

Boma just smiled. 'Just one guy in this vast sea searching out female life forms.'

'So, what kind of doctors are you guys?' Boma asked, not having anything better to do at the moment.

'I have my doctorate in Archaeological Medicine, and I'm now working on my PhD,' Korby replied.

Brown said, 'I just have a Doctorate in Archaeology'.

Spock looked even more interested at the newcomers and was especially impressed when he found out Korby's work in Archaelogical Medicine.

'I am familiar with your work. Wasn't your doctoral thesis based on translations of Orion medicine?'

Corby flushed at the mention of his pride and joy. In a flash, the tables seemed to have been pushed together, and heads were bent low in technical discussions, and Boma was left on the fringes.

'Right', muttered Boma to himself. He had no intention of being sucked into scholarly discussions anyway.

Boma, taking advantage of his outsider position, retrieved his drink, excused himself, and left the 'brain-brains' in deep conversation.

______________________________________

Nyota learned a little more about Christine as they spent time talking and laughing about various topics, mostly trivial things, as they left the little bar they had found and continued their way through the streets of San Francisco.

'Actually, Nyota,' Christine was saying, 'I had hoped that I would meet somebody with brains tonight. Ordinary men are such a bore.'

Nyota giggled, but she thoroughly agreed. They had just made a hasty retreat from the pushy guys they had just encountered. She hated guys who were over-confident and so sure of themselves.'

'Maybe, they're all studying!' offered Nyota, earning a speculative glance from Christine.

'Well, everybody needs a break once in awhile. Hopefully, we'll get lucky tonight. If not, we can check out what came in with us at the dorm tomorrow. Maybe, you'll run into your friend, again.'

Nyota seriously doubted it, and was instantly depressed again.

Noticing her error, Christine countered quickly. 'Here's another one, Nyota. Let's try this one out!'

_________________________________

A soft breeze turned Boma's attention again to the door. His eyes were now on two women who had just entered. He had been sitting at the bar nursing his drink. He had been in the process of sipping from his glass, when it stopped in mid-air before his lips. His eyes were locked on the beautiful woman on the left. Her hair was up in a rude bun, but that didn't take away from her beautiful, brown eyes, her perfect, slim figure, and her coffee-brown, smooth skin. He felt a chill travel up and down his body as he surveyed her from head to toe. The two, not noticing him at the bar, walked quickly over to an empty table next to Korby and Brown's. The men hardly noticed the ladies as they sat down. Typical, thought Boma.

Roger Korby, noticing a pleasant fragrance close by, finally lifted up his head from his conversation with Brown and Spock, turned to his right, and noticed a stunning blond sitting at the table next to him. He stammered something meaningless in the air as her eyes bore into his. He tentatively raised his glass to her. Since she didn't shrink away and continued to hold his gaze, he grew a little bolder, and introduced himself to her. Brown and Spock, not missing Corby, continued their conversation.

Boma surveyed the changes at the table as he sat at the bar. His eyes were still locked on the beautiful woman. He was instantly charmed as she laughed at one of her friend's jokes. Boma examined his feelings. He had never felt this way about anybody at first glance, and realized that he had to play this one carefully for he didn't want to lose her. He sat at the outskirts for awhile listening to drifts of the conversation. She seemed highly intelligent, and would probably be immune to typical human male advances, he surmised.

Seeing his opportunity when her friend and Korby seemed to draw closer together, Boma walked up to her table since the woman didn't seem to be occupied, and carefully joined her table. The huge brown eyes turned towards him, and he returned a shy look of his own. The eyes questioned a bit, and he said, 'Sorry to disturb you, but the other side of my table seems to be taken by my friends, and I didn't want to disturb their conversation,' Boma said, assuming the air of having the utmost respect for others as he waved a hand at Brown and Spock who now occupied the chairs at his former table.

My name's Samuel Boma', he said quietly.

'My name is Uhura. I'm a cadet candidate at Star Fleet Academy, and this is Christine', she replied, moving a bit backward in her chair to introduce her roommate.

'Please to meet you both,' Boma said, not quite sure that Christine had even heard him.

'You're a cadet candidate? Well, what a coincidence! I'm a first year cadet at the Academy... not exactly first year, since I've only been there since January,' he said humbly.

'What are you studying, Cadet Boma?'

'Please call me, Sam.'

'Okay, Sam. You may call me Uhura,' she said, ruling on the side of caution.

'I'm studying Physics,' said Boma.

'How are you a first year cadet when the class doesn't enter for another three weeks?'

'Well, I came in at mid-term', he said, lowering his head a bit.

'You're embarrassing him,' chimed in Christine, who had just listened in after taking a quick break from her conversation with Korby.

Boma just smiled and shrugged. 'I was accepted to the Fast Track program, so that's why I was allowed to start a little earlier.'

Boma saw that Uhura was really impressed by this as she edged a little closer to him at the table.

Korby and Christine began another conversation, while Spock continued a discussion with Brown at the other end of the table.

'You're in Fast Track! I applied to the program, but they chose somebody else!'

'What are you going to be studying, Uhura?' Boma asked, hoping that she wouldn't say ''Physics', taking her Fast Track place away.

'I'll be studying Xenolinguistics. Tell me, is it hard at the Academy?' Uhura said, impressed that this man was experiencing her dreams.

'Well, it's a pretty big challenge, but they wouldn't accept you if you weren't capable of handling the curriculum.'

Uhura considered this, relaxed, and then smiled. 'What's a typical day like?'

Uhura and Boma continued their conversation quietly exploring each other and enjoying each other's company. Christine and Roger seemed to be equally enthralled with each other.

Spock finally rose, catching Boma's eye, and motioned quietly that it was time to get back to the dormitory.

Boma, not wanting to cause a scene, gave Spock an 'another five minutes nod' and wound down his conversation with Nyota in their little niche. He exchanged PADD data with her, and offered to help her in her Academy transition. Perhaps even as early as tomorrow.

Uhura laughed at Boma, grinning at his cleverness in working out their next meeting.

Spock had risen from the table again and was making his way to Boma's.

Boma announced, 'And this is my mentor, Lieutenant Spock. He keeps me out of trouble.'

And Boma confidentially whispered in her ear, 'And he's as cold as they get!'

Boma smiled and reiterated his goodnight to Uhura. He rose slowly from his chair leaving Uhura fully exposed to Spock for the first time. Feeling finally relaxed and tired of her bun, she loosened the band on her long, silky, black hair. Spock stood transfixed as she shook her tresses free, as she finally stood revealed in agonizing loveliness, her long hair trailing down her back.

Boma said, 'Spock, come on, you said that we had to be going!'

Yes, of course, Cadet Boma,' referring to his formal name in his confusion.

Uhura barely acknowledged the Vulcan as she turned back to Christine...who had turned back to her conversation with Korby. Meanwhile, Brown had moved around the tables, and began a conversation with Uhura. She found both Brown and Korby to be extraordinary in their fields. Brown was currently explaining a project that they wanted to take part in on a planet called Exo III. She was impressed. These guys seemed to be adventurous for civilians, she thought admiringly. And Christine seemed to have hit the jackpot with Roger Korby. They were currently exchanging PADD information. Nyota smiled looking over at her new friend enjoying herself.

__________________________________

Christine and Nyota left the bar about an hour after Boma and Spock had left. They walked contently and lazily to the transport station.

'Well?' queried Christine.

'Well, what?' Nyota said, smiling, running her fingers through her hair.

'Tell me. No secrets!'

'You tell me! You two seemed to have known each other for years!'

Christine smiled dreamingly thinking about the evening. 'He was absolutely everything that I was looking for in a guy. Brilliant! Adventurous! Self-assured, but not overbearing... and interested in me. Did you know that he's already garnered several prestigious Federation awards?

'When are you going to see him again?'

'Whenever we get settled in. I don't know what our schedule's going to be like. Ok, Nyota, your turn! What was that cosmic stir you caused tonight?'

Nyota hadn't thought she had caused a cosmic stir, and said, 'You saw him! Samuel is a first year cadet, and he's in Fast Track! He majoring in ....'

Christine interrupted impatiently, 'What are you talking about, Nyota! Come on! No secrets!'

Nyota just stared at Christine.

'Nyota,' Christine said, drawing her name out. I'm not talking about Samuel, I'm talking about the Vulcan!'

Nyota said, 'The Vulcan? You mean Sam's mentor? What are you talking about?'

'Didn't you see the way he looked at you? I've never seen a Vulcan react like _that_ before.'

'He just glanced at me when Boma introduced us. Boma told me that he was cold.'

'Well, he looked pretty warm to me,' Christine said, nudging her friend.

'Come on Christine. Vulcans aren't that way. You know that. I really think that you are stretching things a bit, don't you?

'No, Nyota. Not at all.'

__________________________________

Spock and Boma made their way back to the dormitory. Boma was walking with an extra bounce to his step, thinking of Uhura! Spock's behavior wasn't any different from normal, and he didn't recognize that he was slightly withdrawn.

Spock was silently calming himself in the cool evening air. He couldn't understand what he had found so fascinating about her. Totally illogical. He replayed his meeting with her in his mind, and then willed himself to forget the entire episode, because on reflection, he had come to a conclusion: the woman that he had been fascinated with didn't even know he existed.

_Hope you like this chapter! Took long enough, I know. Please take time to review. It makes me feel good._


	8. Chapter 8

Beautiful Music Together.

The Next Day

Nyota and Christine's laughter rippled lightly though the dark, breezy night as they walked slowly back towards the dormitory. It was the end of a very relaxing evening for both women, so what awaited them on arrival at the dorm was totally unexpected. Nyota was laughing lustily at one of Christine's jokes as she triggered the security mechanism on the dormitory door, which slid open silently. It seemed empty and quiet as the women entered. A yeoman was observing them; however, as they made their way into the huge foyer. She slowly rose from her chair as the two cadet candidates approached the duty desk.

'Ladies,' she said crisply, 'curfew was at 22:00. I hope that you have a good reason for being late.'

Nyota said worriedly, 'Yeoman, we just arrived today, and we weren't aware of any curfew.'

'Your future classmates were apparently aware of the rule for you see none of them lingering about. Ignorance won't excuse delinquency in the future, Cadet Candidate Uhura.' The Yeoman nodded her head, seeing Nyota's dismay at hearing her name, acknowledging the fact that the yeoman knew exactly who she was.

The yeoman came from behind her desk and walked menacingly toward the two women, continuing her lecture. She was of average height, very young, and her shouldered-lengthed blond hair hung stiffly across her back as she confronted the two women. 'My name is Yeoman, 3rd Class Rand, and I'm in charge of this dormitory. As long as you are staying in _my_ dormitory, you will check in and check out at the duty desk before going anywhere unless on an official excursion. You will read the Academy regulations concerning cadet candidate decorum and dress and hair codes, glancing quickly at Nyota's wild and disarranged tresses, upon returning to your room. You are expected to get up at 06:00, so please don't ignore Reveille. Further instructions will be given to you tomorrow.'

Nyota instantly regretted arriving at the Academy early, and wished she had opted for a cheap hotel or hostel in San Francisco, and from the look on Christine's face, she was having the same thoughts.

"Just don't stand there gaping ladies! Off to your rooms. Move!" Nyota and Christine turned quickly and proceeded immediately down the hall to their room. Rand turned on her heel, going back to the duty desk to change shifts from the looks of things.

'What a b…!' Nyota was about to say, but Christine shushed her, because Rand was still in auditory range.

As they walked back to their room, Nyota, feeling embarrassed about the entire situation turned to Christine in suspicion.

'Did you know about curfew, Christine?' she whispered, behind her hand.

Christine paused, bit her lip, and looked a bit guilty. 'Well, umm…come on, Nyota!' she gushed out quickly. 'It was our first day here, and you were in need of some diversion...ohh…okay,' she admitted, after seeing Nyota's stern look. 'I knew about it! Come on. It's over okay…and just think about it! It was worth it! Come on, brighten up! It's not the end of the world.' Christine gave her a coaxing look.

They entered their room, and Nyota, still sulking a bit, grabbed her toiletries, and went straight into the bathroom. She jumped immediately into the shower. The warm water soothed her nerves and gave her time for contemplation. Christine was right. She had been a bit sullen, but she would have gotten over it. She was very serious about the Academy and her career, and somehow she felt she had gotten off on the wrong foot. Some time between washing the shampoo out of her hair and applying the conditioner, she finally relaxed and came to the conclusion that 'tomorrow was another day', and she suddenly felt much better. Emerging from the bath, she dressed quickly, and grabbed the Cadet Candidate PADD which had been placed on her nightstand.

'What are you doing?' Christine asked, as she prepared to take her turn at the bathroom.

'I'm going to read those regs like Rand told us to do!'

'You've got to be kidding! It's almost midnight!'

Nyota didn't reply, but started reading.

Christine just shrugged wondering at the sudden change in her roommate's temperament and continued towards the bathroom.

* * *

Nyota and Christine's day started off miserably. Even though they had been warned to get up early, they barely responded to the sound of Reveille. Nyota groggily looked over at the lump in Christine's bed as it rolled and pulled the covers over its head. They both jolted awake; however, when minutes later, they heard footsteps click briskly against the polished hallway floor. Looking at each other and anticipating trouble, they jumped out of bed, glancing at each other with worried smiles and silent giggles on their faces to see what would happen next. They had no military clothing as of yet, so they had to pull on some civilian clothes quickly before Rand or whoever it was that was coming, came through the door. Nyota had never moved so quickly in her life as the 'clicking' sound grew louder as it came closer to their room. She had barely got her hair wound into a ponytail, before a knock and the opening of their door revealed the feared yeoman.

Rand entered the room slowly, observed the untidy beds and the clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor. She frowned and shook her head from side to side. 'I do not think that I made myself clear last night ladies…'

'Hey, don't we have to take an oath or sign something first before you start bossing us around?' Christine protested, cutting the yeoman off. 'As far as I know, we _are_ still civilians.'

Rand smiled tightly and stepped up closely to Christine's face. 'Yes, to both, Chapel…but look at the situation this way. I may look young, and not worthy of respect, but if you give me any problems _here_, I know a lot of people over _there_, and believe me, you don't want your reputation ruined before entering the Academy, now do you? So, I would advise you both to clean up this mess and get moving! You have until 06:30 to meet out in the hallway with your other classmates.'

The door slid shut behind Rand. Chapel turned up her nose and made a gesture at the empty space where Rand had been standing.

'You were right, Nyota.'

Nyota looked at Christine questioningly.

'I shouldn't have cut off your remark off last night.'

* * *

Captain Christopher Pike walked slowly towards the Officer's Mess. It was early afternoon, and the weather was cool, but sunny. He rarely had the luxury to eat lunch with the other officers, usually opting for a sandwich in his office. Now, he eagerly looked forward to exchanging information, (gossip and gloating really), with his peers. He chuckled silently to himself. He was glad of the two-week lull that usually preceded each new class. He breathed in deeply to relax himself. He needed the fresh air to clear his thoughts, having just finished his interview with Cadet Salva.

'_Welcome truly this time to Star Fleet Academy, Cadet Salva,' Captain Pike had said, greeting the cadet with a welcoming smile._

_Cadet Salva smiled back feeling Pike's mental effort in conveying ease._

'_If I may ask you a question, Cadet Salva…well, it's sort of a statement and a question...__You have obviously taken on a human form while at the Academy. May I ask why?'_

_Removing the bracelet quickly, Cadet Salva's form suddenly changed before Captain Pike's eyes. Before him sat a figure which had a humanoid shape, but the similarities ended there. The figure now before him possessed smooth, brown-purplish skin, razor sharp teeth, and a little snout. The long, delicate fingers had transformed into appendices with suckers attached. The transformation had taken a second. __Captain Pike, to his credit, did not flinch at the sudden transformation, but was astounded nonetheless...more from the suddenness of the transformation than anything else. _

_'Captain Pike. I would not be wearing this bracelet if I hadn't thought out my decision. I'm very young for my species, and the bracelet gives me relief from the mental bombardment of others around me,' Cadet Salva said, tacitly reminding Captain Pike of his distress at the form his mind had produced._

_'So, I have been informed, Salva. I just wanted to give you the option again, and I'm sure that I don't have to__ remind you that your bracelet must_ _remain on at all times since you have chosen this option.'_

'_Understood, sir,' replacing the bracelet and taking on the neutral form again._

"_Your 'Fast Track' classes officially began in January, Salva,' said Pike, getting on to business, "but because of Star Fleet security problems regarding your case, we have now delayed your start until the beginning of June. You will be in-processed with your class, spend three weeks in cadet indoctrination, and then you will officially begin your classes."_

'_Sir? May I ask a question?'_

'_Yes, Cadet?' _

"_Is there any way that I may opt out of 'Fast Track'?"_

_Captain Pike's mouth slightly dropped open. He paused a moment in stunned disbelief. "Why? You were recruited specifically for 'Fast Track' because of your natural linguistic abilities. Our Xenolinguistics program needs you, and because of your mental abilities you would be able to understand all languages and nuances perfectly. You would be invaluable to Star Fleet in this capacity!' Captain Pike paused again to digest the shocking question. 'Salva, you must have a very good reason to opt out,' Pike said, giving the cadet a stern look._

'_Captain, I feel like I would be guilty of manipulation by using my gifts as you describe. You are not a Fotiallan…so you can't possibly understand. __Our so-called 'abilities' were initially used for survival in hostile environments, and being able to mimic other species has saved our species from extinction in the past.'_

_'I would not call it manipulation, Cadet, just trying to facilitate communications between species.'_

_'Nonetheless, Captain, I have decided that I don't want to study Xenolinguistics. I'm sorry for notifying Star Fleet so late, but I didn't think I would satisfy Star Fleet security requirements, anyway...'_

_Captain Pike, not about to give up, lectured Cadet Salva another 10 minutes about the merits of 'Fast Track'...the advantages, the honors, and the challenge of completing a program designed especially for elite cadets...the best possible education that Star Fleet had to offer...and best of all, an almost certain assignment on Star Fleet's flagship, the 'U.S.S. Enterprise'._

_Cadet Salva had made up her mind, and Captain Pike, not wanting another reluctant cadet, finally, capitulated. __Pike asked, 'What area were you considering studying, Salva?'_

'_I was thinking of Medical Zoology.'_

_Captain Pike smilingly tiredly considered the idea. 'I'll think about it, Salva, and I'll make my decision soon. You have about two weeks until your class officially reports. You will be quartered in the officer's wing until then. You will receive further instructions through your PADD. Please keep a low profile, Cadet. Anything else?'_

_'No, sir.' _

'_Dismissed'_.

Deep in thought, Captain Pike walked on towards the mess hall. Star Fleet wasn't going to be happy with Cadet Salva's decision to opt out of Fast Track. An officer with this type of ability may have possibly averted the 'Kelvin' disaster by being able to communicate more effectively. From what he had researched for his dissertation, he doubted it, but Star Fleet didn't want to leave any stone left unturned, so they had recruited Salva heavily.

He sighed. 'Fast Track' would not be his problem anyway. His own personal request to return to 'active' duty had been approved by Star Fleet last week. He would be returning to command, and not to any ship, but to the flagship of the fleet, 'The U.S.S. Enterprise'. He was eagerly looking forward to his trip to see the new Enterprise in construction in a couple of weeks. Star Fleet had, in the meantime, put him in charge of cadet recruitment. He hoped that he would be able to find some gems in the next bunch of cadets.

Pike mused. The cadets were sharp enough academically, but many of them were too 'protocol and rule' crazy. Risk-taking...yes, that was a disappearing characteristic in today's cadets and officers. He was suddenly reminded of Captains Robau and Kirk. Now, those were officers that anybody could take a cue from.

'Captain Pike! Captain Pike!' said a voice, waking him up from his thoughts. Pike nearly bumped into Cadet Boma who had suddenly closed in on him from the opposite direction. Cadet Boma saluted him and greeted him with a smile. _This smile is new_, thought Pike to himself.

'Sir,' Boma said, quite out of breath, 'I just wanted to ask you if we could reschedule our meeting tomorrow, and since I saw you...'

Pike wanted to ask, 'Cadet Boma. Is that a smile that I see on your face?' Instead he said neutrally, 'It shouldn't be a problem, Cadet Boma. I just wanted to discuss your progress and your exam results. How are your studies going, by the way?'

'Fine sir, the results of all my exams should have been transferred to you already,' he said, puzzled at the question, because there had _never_ been a problem with his studies.

'Relax, Boma. Just a rhetorical question. I haven't got a chance to review your scores, but I'm sure they are excellent as usual. The next phase of your 'Fast Track' training will begin in two weeks. And oh, also....Professor Daystrom has personally asked me to allow you to remain in his class.' Boma smiled broadly because he was very fond of the professor.

Pike seeing his satisfaction, took advantage and asked, "How's it going with you personally? How are you and Commander Spock getting on?" Pike cringed a bit expecting a slightly negative answer.

'Great sir, we are going off-base tomorrow to a place called Baja.'

Pike raised an eyebrow. He hadn't realized that the two had become _that_ close. 'So, I guess that means that you and Commander Spock are getting on quite well,' Pike said, managing a sly smile.

'Well, I didn't want to say anything prematurely, sir, but Commander Spock has requested that we remain roommates during the summer semester and perhaps beyond.'

Captain Pike, trying to control his shock said, 'Ok… I have a meeting with Commander Spock this afternoon, and I'll wait until he discusses this with me before making a final decision.'

"I'm glad to see things going well for you, Cadet Boma,' Pike said, as he veered to the right in the direction of the mess hall.

'Yes...and thank you, sir', Boma replied, officially signing off.

Pike wasn't sure, but he thought he had heard whistling from the direction that Boma had gone. He suspected that maybe Spock wasn't the only reason for his change of attitude about the Academy.

* * *

The rest of the day, Christine and Nyota were on the run. Most of the day consisted of 'hurry up and wait', which was typical of the military. They were sized for their cadet uniforms and given a second, more thorough medical examination. Then they were forced to sit through two boring lectures about Academy recruitment and strategy. Exhausted, they headed back to their room, glad that they were able to get most of their in-processing out of the way before their class arrived. They cautiously walked into the foyer, relieved that Rand was nowhere to greet them, got to their room unscathed, and collapsed onto their beds. Tomorrow would be the official tour of the Academy, and Nyota was especially looking forward to that. Christine had already pulled out her PADD and was checking her messages. From the enraptured look on her face, Nyota already knew who the message was from. A slow smile had spread across her face as she scanned the message.

Nyota looked at her screen and was disappointed that Samuel hadn't written yet. There were three messages; however, hmm...a Cadet Candidate reception was to be held at the Academy Recreation Center after the tour tomorrow. Sounds like fun.

Another message was a cryptic one from somebody in the Academy offices...she hoped that she wasn't in trouble already. She opened it tentatively. Christine was still musing over her message when Nyota let out a happy shriek.

'Christine! Christine! Look! I made it!' she shrieked, pointing at her PADD.'

'What did you make?' said Christine, rushing to her side.

'Fast Track! I start a special program in Xenolinguistics in two weeks!'

Nyota still excited, scrolled down again on her PADD. There was another message for an appointment confirmation from a Captain Christopher Pike. She excitedly confirmed, not knowing where to go. The appointment was scheduled for 17:00 later that day.

At that moment, their door chimed and Yeoman Rand entered, wheeling a trolley of some sort. "Uhura, I've been informed that you're to report to Captain Christopher Pike at 17:00. I hope that you've read up on your dress code regulations." Looking at both women, she said, "Unload your uniforms quickly from the trolley ladies, I've got other stops to make. Uhura, I've been ordered to escort you to Captain Pike's office. Please meet me in uniform in the foyer at 16:30.'

Nyota couldn't contain her excitement. Fast Track. What an honor! She couldn't wait to see Samuel's face when he found out the news!

_Sorry for the delay everybody! I'm not too sure about this chapter, so if it wasn't that good, please let me know....gently, please. Grin. Enjoy! And keep those reviews coming....please! I really appreciate them._


	9. Chapter 9

**Beautiful Music Together**

Chapter 9. A Trip to Baja.

Boma and Spock left the Academy early in the morning to fullfill their bet. They had received a message from Finnegan saying that the young woman, Leila, was currently working at an outpost in southern Baja, having just arrived back from collecting exotic plant species from various planets. The civilian transport had left them a good distance from their desired destination, so they had to make their way to the remote outpost the best they could on foot. For once, Spock had been absolutely correct in his choice of attire. It soon became obvious he wasn't suffering in the dry heat of Baja like Boma who had not expected to be walking in the sun. The sun wasn't even at its zenith, and it was already 35°C in the unseasonably warm heat. There was also a steady wind, which constantly flapped at their attire and blew sand around, and seemed to be picking up as the morning went by.

For Boma, it was just 'too damned hot'! He licked his increasingly, dry lips which were beginning to chap, and looked longingly at the flasks of water dangling from Spock's belts on his white outer wear. Boma had chosen a durable shirt and trousers---they had seemed a reasonable choice at that time, but he had underestimated the conditions---while Spock hadn't. Boma was too stubborn to ask for water, and he definitely wouldn't beg. Spock seemed totally oblivious at Boma's predicament, and didn't offer any either to ease Boma's discomfort…not yet anyway. Spock walked along in perfect comfort. He had pulled up his hood as soon as they had exited their transport. The hood kept the wind and the stinging sand out of his face and hair. He was, of course, totally aware of Boma's growing need, and he had even calculated the time it would take for Samuel to begin the initial stages of dehydration. Until then, Boma wouldn't be comfortable, but he wouldn't be in any danger, either.

**Sandavol's Horticultural Outpost #2**, the sign read as Boma and Spock trudged across the last of the hot sand to the gate which barred the entrance to the outpost. Three old message droids hung on the gate, and Spock quickly inserted his identification card which activated one of the droids. The droid buzzed and whirred for a couple of minutes registering, sending, and receiving information. Then it suddenly left its perch and hovered in the air. The gate, which they could have easily climbed over, clicked open. Gaining entry, the droid led Spock and Boma to a small garage with two parked vehicles which both had oversized wheels and a flimsy canopy top for shade. The chassis looked strange, but sturdy. The droid perched on one of the vehicles, and Spock and Boma took this as a signal to get in.

Delighted, Boma immediately scrambled into the driver's seat.

"I've always wanted to drive a car."

'This car, as you call it, is referred to as a dune buggy. And I suppose from your statement, that you've never driven _either _before,' said Spock.

'Relax, Spock!' Boma said, noticing Spock's skepticism. 'I saw an old documentary once on how to drive one of these things…real easy! Hmmm…here's the ignition...Wow! It even has a clutch!'

Spock turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Boma, then looked at the buggy which had obviously been modified. The strange chassis suggested other uses for the vehicle, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Reluctantly, he climbed into the passenger seat. Boma sat up straight, grinned, and excitedly turned on the car which immediately hummed to life. They lurched forward. Boma grinned sheepishly as they lurched again, but at least, they inched a bit more forward this time. He somehow was able to exit the small garage and approached the first dune.

'Samuel, I would surely hope that our entire trip won't consist of…'

'Spock, relax…'

'I believe I received those same instructions from you exactly 3.4 minutes ago, and I can no longer achieve that state.'

'Ok…don't worry then…we'll get there.'

'Hopefully in one piece.'

'Well, if I get you there in one piece,' Boma said, slyly, 'you have to give me one of your water flasks.'

"I don't see the connection between my water flask and _our_ personal safety.'

Boma snickered for he knew he was being teased mercilessly. He deserved it; though, mocking Spock for dressing in his off-white attire this morning and teasing him for getting ready for 'desert manuevers'. He knew Spock was wringing this for all it was worth.

The droid seemed to whirr impatiently and a map appeared on the display screen indicating the direction in which he should drive. 'Well, I guess I will have to do my best to get us there in one piece.' He lurched the car forward on purpose this time, throwing the Vulcan forward on his seat. Spock grabbed the middle pole on the dune buggy to steady himself.

'Oops…wrong gear.' Spock gave him a decidedly evil look.

Boma actually began to get the hang of driving as they negotiated the first of the dunes. The droid, which had firmly attached itself to the vehicle, had become a navigation system and intoned in what direction they should go. So they rolled and jumped their way over the dunes for the next 15 kilometers.

Spock actually did begin to relax despite the intermittent bumps. The sand and hot weather soothed him and reminded him a bit of Vulcan. Domes and greenhouses began to appear at regular intervals as they made their way to the center of the complex. He was glad that he was able to relax after the events of yesterday. He reflected on them while Boma was preoccupied with 'driving'.

* * *

_Captain Pike had smiled as he had entered his office, but he hadn't wasted any time in beginning their meeting._

'_I understand that you will be remaining at the Academy the entire summer, Commander.'_

'_That is correct, Captain. My parents have decided to remain Earthside; therefore, I have no requirement for personal leave.'_

'_As you wish, Commander. I'm actually relieved that you've decided to stay, for it makes my job easier in telling you the latest news.'_

_Spock waited patiently for Captain Pike to continue._

'_I've been given the command of the U.S.S. Enterprise.' He paused so that Spock could absorb the news. 'Yes, I know she won't be ready for another three years, but I'm going to be working closely in a consultant role with the engineering and assembly teams. Star Fleet has also given me the privilege of choosing my own crew.' Pike leaned back in his chair in satisfaction as he reminisced. _

"_I'll be shuttling a lot between here and Iowa during the next three years, so I've had to cut some of my duties here at the Academy. I'll still be in charge of Cadet Recruiting, but I have to give up my job as Academic Advisor for 'Fast Track'. Pike paused again preparing himself for his next statement. _

_'I would like you to take over for me during the summer until we can find a permanent replacement. It shouldn't be too much trouble, since you yourself were a 'Fast Tracker', and you know the program.'_

'_It would be an honor, sir.'_

_Pike smiled again and relaxed in his chair. _

_'One of my last duties as your official advisor is to inform you that you have been chosen to work on the new simulation program in which you had applied for last year. The Academy doesn't want to wait any longer, and has decided to implement the simulation which is based on the ship the 'Kobayashi Maru'. You will be working closely with Dr. Elizabeth Dehner who has been working out the psychological aspects of the program for some months now. Academy brass wants to know if you can be finished by the beginning of the fall semester.'_

_Spock calculated quickly to himself…it would be close. 'Affirmative, Captain,' he said. _

''_You never disappoint me, Commander,' Pike said in a satisfied way._

_'Do you have anything else, Commander? Anything on your mind? I'm very pleased, by the way, at the progress of Cadet Boma. He seems to be…well…happier, and his grades are excellent!'_

'_Yes, Captain. I am also very satisfied with Cadet Boma's progress.' Spock hesitated, then proceeded, while Pike waited for his next statement in anticipation._

_'Captain, I would like to ask you if it would be acceptable for me to continue to share accommodations with Cadet Boma for the rest of the summer.'_

_Captain Pike tried to act surprised, and decided to push a theory forward that he'd been forming. "It's not usual for the mentor/student relationship to continue into the summer months, Commander. I really don't think that Cadet Boma needs a chaperone anymore.'_

_Spock paused. 'Cadet Boma is in favor of continuing our liaison, and he has need of further tutoring in some of Star Fleet's other aspects which I will be able to provide him.'_

_Pike suppressed a smiled, and said, 'Aspects...well, if you want to call it that.'_

_Spock looked a little grim and puzzled._

_''I have nothing against it,' Pike finally said, giving up his little game. 'Sorry, Spock, just having a bit of private fun. Don't you have a sense of humor?'_

'_Indeed I do, Captain.'_

'_Well, you should try to show it once in a while,' Pike said, taking a look at the time._

_Suddenly, he stood up and said, _'_Sorry, but I have another meeting. Your first official duty as 'Fast Track' advisor begins in exactly… 15 minutes. My yeoman has just downloaded information to my PADD which I am transferring to yours about the new Fast Track candidate. You were in 'Fast Track', so you know the routine. This time you're on the other side of the desk!'_

_Pike walked to the door. __'You may use my office. I told the Cadet to report here. Good luck, Commander.'_

'_Captain Pike?'_

'_Yes?'_

'_When my duties as commanding officer of the 'Fast Track program' officially begin and since you will be residing primarily in Iowa this summer, does this mean I will also have the use of your accommodation fronting San Francisco Bay?'_

_Captain Pike looked stunned at Spock, rendered speechless at the audacity of the question. Then Pike roared with laughter. "That's a good one, Mister Spock! Indeed you do have a sense of humor," Pike said, laughing loudly as he left his office._

_Spock stared at the empty space where Captain Pike had stood. He was also inwardly pleased with himself. He took a moment to reflect that this had been the first time that Captain Pike had called him, 'Mister Spock'. He wondered what that portended? He made his way to other side of the desk, took his place, and prepared for the interview with the new cadet by pulling up the information from his PADD._

_His throat went dry as he drew in his breath as a beautiful face appeared on the screen. The face hadn't actually filled the screen, but somehow, his finger had pressed the enlarge function, and every feature of her face was now revealed in vivid detail. He suddenly remembered her hair as she had tossed it, taking a life of its own. He had rather thought that the memory would have receded, and wondered how an image could evoke such a strong emotional reaction in him. _

_Remembering that Captain Pike had mentioned that he had 15 minutes to prepare for the interview, he decided to spend five minutes more studying her features. Then he read her personal information and was intrigued at the depth of this new cadet. He found himself in a state of anticipation that he had not felt since his day before the Vulcan tribunal. He concentrated on her face again, and forced himself to relax as the door chimed. _

_Spock said, 'Come', and the door slid open._

* * *

Elias Sandavol watched the sand build up as the dune buggy neared. He was still vigorous in middle age as his long, graying hair blew across his face making him appear like some crazed, ancient prophet. It was still about a kilometer away, but the wind and the sand betrayed its movement in the dry desert. The droid had relayed the information on the two individuals about an hour ago_._

_Stupid cadets_, he spat. They could have been here long ago if they had taken advantage of the technology on that buggy… and these cadets were supposedly the 'cream of the crop'. He shook his head. _Hormoned-crazed cadets_. After Leila again probably. He should have let them walk here. But the one individual, a Vulcan, had intrigued him. Perhaps, this meeting was on the up-and-up after all. Well, he would deal with them when they arrived. Leila should be here by the time they finished crawling here.

Leila Kalomi combed her long, blond hair away from her face. Her wistful, gray eyes and high cheek bones gave a fresh, ethereal look to her pretty features. She was busy and had no time or patience for visitors. She was currently programming the greenhouses in the vast complexes... inputting extremely, sensitive instructions into the computers for her newly, acquired plants. This outpost would be maintained by a skeleton crew in a couple of months, so everything had to be programmed perfectly.

Elias had said, 'cadets'. She hoped and prayed it wasn't Finnegan again, but Elias would have told her so. She looked into the small, cracked mirror that was posted on the door. Satisfied, she headed towards the center dome.

With a final jerk, the vehicle came to a stand-still before a huge, circular, dome-liked structure which dominated the centre of the outpost. Other greenhouses were connected to this center hub like appendages, extending at least two kilometers in each direction. Workers could be seen moving around in the self-contained system, going about their duties.

Sandoval had put on his best scowl as he descended on the two cadets as they were getting out of the buggy. Spock plucked a water flask from his belt, and gave the relieved Boma a much needed drink. Leila was just coming out of the dome when she saw two figures emerge from the buggy. The first figure looked handsome, but disheveled. Sweat was pouring down his face, and brown dust had accumulated on the top of his head. His clothes also suffered from his perspiration and clung stickily to his body. He seemed thoroughly unprepared for desert conditions. She wanted to laugh...but the second figure had just caught her eye. He swung out of the buggy in one smooth, graceful motion. He paused for a minute taking in his surroundings, then removed his white hood and stood exposed. Leila's heart stopped. He was definitely a Vulcan! She saw Elias walk briskly towards the two.

'Elias,' she said in a soft voice, as she moved swiftly to intervene before he could start his tirade. She walked around him to block his way to the cadets. 'I'll handle this,' she said, looking at her employer and friend giving him an apologetic grin. 'I think that the Vulcan might want to pick up supplies for Ambassador Sarek and his wife. She requested that I bring some things back from Vulcan.'

Sandavol hesitated…eyed the cadets…weighed the logic…then acquiesced and went back to work. She turned towards the two newcomers taking a better look at them. The man looked interesting enough, but she gave most of her observation to the Vulcan who was even more interesting in her brief evaluation. She took in his sleek form, his intelligent eyes, his thin lips, and his slightly-flared nostrils. She was trying desperately to remember everything she knew about Vulcans, not wanting to offend this one in any way. In her confusion, she turned to the other man.

'I'm Leila Kalomi. You wanted to see me?'

Boma grinned to himself for he had noticed the beautiful woman's reaction to Spock. He decided to help her out a bit.

'No, I'm with him. My name is Samuel Boma, by the way. I think that he wants to ask you about some exotic Vulcan plants to make some type of soup or something.' Boma and Spock had argued that morning about a suitable excuse to visit the complex. Spock had favored a more direct approach, but Boma decided a feint was needed. Not thirsty anymore, Boma was going to get back at Spock a little, as he noticed Spock's reaction to his version of the story.

'Cadet Finnegan, who goes to the Academy with us, and is held in the utmost esteem,' Boma said, making sure he fulfilled the outlines of their lost bet to the fullest, 'highly recommended your center to provide Spock with what he needs.'

Leila became inwardly excited as she turned back to the Vulcan. 'Yes, I know of it, _plomeek _soup, and we do grow the plants for the seasonsings here. What a coincidence! The Vulcan ambassador's wife has just commissioned me to provide some for her, too!'

Spock glared at Boma briefly. 'My name is Spock, Miss Kalomi.' Spock had noticed her beauty, but what he would never know is that if he hadn't seen Nyota first, he would have been equally transformed by the woman who stood before him.

'Indeed, _plomeek_ soup is a favorite of mine…,' Spock said, going reluctantly along with Samuel's story. 'Cadet Finnegan and I were roommates once...'

Leila hardly heard anything about the praises of Sean Finnegan. All she knew was that she had an opportunity to assist and possibly get to know this Vulcan better.

Leila said, 'Of course, we can make _plomeek_ soup on Earth, but it just doesn't taste the same. I've been growing the authentic seasonings in special Vulcan soil in my greenhouse. I could show you the greenhouse for my Vulcan plants right now if you'd like. It's not far from here,' Leila said quietly, her visage taking on a hopeful look.

'We would be honored, Miss Kalomi,' Spock said.

'You two go ahead. I'll just wait here in the shade,' Boma said, noticing a perfect place which had a table and pair of chairs. 'I need to write some messages anyway.'

Leila look at Boma and seemed to give him a slightly, thankful grin, and led Spock in the direction of the greenhouse. Before leaving, however, Leila opened a small cooler and extracted some cold juice packs for Boma to try and sat him in an advantageous position where a vent from the dome emitted cool air. She then opened a bigger cool container and extracted some bread slices, cheese, and a variety of cold sherbets. She then gave him a much needed wet cloth. Boma accepted all with profuse gratitude. He looked like he was in heaven as he wiped the grit from his face to make himself look more presentable, so Spock didn't protest when Leila dragged him off alone on a tour of the greenhouse.

Spock actually found the tour very interesting. The woman was a very competent botanist and accomplished in her work. She was obviously passionate about her plants as her manner became more animated while discussing her latest successes at controlling the climate and coaxing the seedlings to take root in their artificial environment. The plants were logically and aesthetically ordered to provide the viewer not only with a practical arrangement, but also a place where one could relax and enjoy the harmony of nature. She blushed with pride as Spock praised the health and beauty of her plants.

'If you would give me your PADD identification, I would be glad to tell you when these plants have matured. I'll talk to Elias and maybe he will offer you a special price,' Leila said, as they prepared to leave the greenhouse.

'That would be very agreeable, Miss Kalomi. I will tell my mother that she has made an excellent selection in her choice of botanists.' Leila stood shocked as she absorbed the latest information. Then she beamed as she reveled again in Spock's compliments. Spock had no idea that Leila was smitten with him, as she led him back into the heat of the desert towards the main hub.

Boma, in the meantime, had written a much belated letter to Nyota. He was glad that he had the time to concentrate on its content. His PADD beeped impatiently as another message came in. He had almost forgotten, he had to be back at the Academy by 16:00 for practice at the conservatory. He would never make it. He looked around annoyed and impatient wondering what was keeping Spock. His eyes centered on the dune buggy and its strange chassis. Restored from Leila's refreshments, he ventured out into the sun to inspect the buggy. He wondered at the long pole in the center of the buggy. He stepped back, examined the chassis, and the series of buttons on the display. He saw some movement in the direction of where Leila and Spock had gone. Good. He had others thing to do that day. Taking a chance, he pushed a button with a strange looking symbol on it. Boma sprang back as the buggy jarred and a huge, white sail began to unfurl from the thick pole in the center. Smiling, he hooked it up and the strong wind began to fill it. He climbed quickly into the buggy as Spock rounded the corner. Boma grinned wildly and yelled at Spock to get in for he didn't know what would happen in the next couple of seconds!

'Nice to have met you, Samuel!' Leila said, waving a hand.

Spock broke into a run as he saw that the buggy had begin to hover, and the wheels deflate and retract. "I will call you, Spock, when the plants are ready,' she shouted, over the din of the wind and the buggy's sail.

Spock's leap was spot on as he gained the buggy. Both cadets now stood in the decreased passenger compartment.

'I think that our droid is going to handle everything this time,' Boma said, his hands free as the buggy hovered steadily.

'Well, well, I'm glad one of you cadets finally figured out this buggy,' a sarcastic voice said, as the buggy hung in the air. 'Raised my opinion of the lot of you.' Sandavol had appeared with what looked like a remote in his hand. He grinned at Boma. "I've programmed the remote to take you directly to the nearest port. The droid will get it back to the gate, don't worry.' Boma mouthed a 'thank you' as the buggy made a wild U-turn in midair, to the malicious glee of Sandavol, and took off swiftly towards the dunes.

Spock and Boma remained silent for a couple of minutes to get used to and enjoy the new functions of their transportion.

'Soooo', said Boma, 'you have her PADD information already. I didn't know you had it in you.'

'The matter is purely professional, Samuel', Spock said, as visions of Nyota broke into his thoughts like an oasis.

'Well, it didn't seem like it from her point of view,' needled Samuel.

'I have no further comment on the matter.' Spock said, leaving Boma in teasing speculation.

* * *

_The new Fast Track cadet had entered. His eyes betrayed nothing as he took in every part of her. He noticed that her uniform was new, and it fit her perfectly. Her skirt fit her hips snuggly and revealed legs which were long and smooth. He was disappointed that her hair was pulled back, but it accentuated her beautifully formed features. She stood at perfect attention waiting for him to start the meeting. He motioned to her to take a seat. He posed his first question, wondering how her voice would sound when she answered him._

* * *

_This chapter was pretty long; that's why it took so long to write it. I can honestly say, I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I would appreciate your reviews. Thanks very much!_


	10. Chapter 10

Beautiful Music Together.

Chapter 10. Impromptu Concert

Boma and Spock made it back just in time for Samuel to shower and rush off to rehearsal. Spock took advantage of the situation; he needed time to meditate and reconcile the happenings of the past few days. After showering and drinking something cool, he went into the living room, seated himself, and began to meditate. A feeling of calmness settled over him as he reconciled his mind with his body. He was able to quickly expunge all peripheral thoughts and was soon in total relaxation. He then allowed himself to address the revelations that Captain Pike had made to him during their meeting. He would definitely be very busy this summer with the programming of the 'Kobiyashi Maru'. He wondered at Captain Pike assigning him to be in charge of 'Fast Track', also. There were many other advisors who could have easily added 'Fast Track' to their workloads. Coming to no logical conclusion, he reflected on the joke he had told Captain Pike...about using his Bay side apartment. Captain Pike had written him that morning, saying Spock could use his accommodation that summer. 'Totally illogical,' he thought. Spock gave the equivalent of an inward, mental sigh. He would never completely understand human humor. He continued his meditation, saving his most difficult topic for last. He let his mind drift back to the meeting held yesterday.

_She had entered the office. He had never overtly noticed uniforms on cadets before, examining them only for discrepancies. Maybe his excursion with Samuel had given him a new_ _apprecation for clothing. The glance had taken only a second. He couldn't help admiring the way her uniform fit perfectly especially around her breasts and her hips. She had taken a seat when he had gestured…her long, smooth legs enticingly exposed. The only disappointment had been her hair which had been pulled back into a ponytail._

_He had taken a quick breath to steady himself, and introduced himself as 'Fast Track' advisor. He had decided he would start his questioning in Vulcan to test her fluency. She seemed surprised when he had addressed her in his native language. She didn't hesitate to answer, but immediately realized that she had made an error when she replied in the 'informal' dialect._ _He had been nevertheless impressed. Many humans didn't even bother learning the nuances of the informal form thinking that they'd have no reason to use it with a Vulcan. She had corrected herself, but he had rather liked being addressed by her in the informal form, so he continued to use it. She had listened dispassionately when he outlined the requirements and classes she would be required to take in 'Fast Track'. She hadn't even reacted to his use of the informal, and just gave a slight nod of affirmation when he had told her he would be assisting her in learning the other two dialects of Romulan that summer._

He suddenly broke out of his meditation. From his seated position, he rolled over onto his back on his meditation rug. Emotions threatened to overwhelm him as his body became warmer and his logical thoughts began to lose focus. She was a cadet. He was an officer. He didn't even know her. But his remaining logic coldly informed him what the real problem was...he wasn't an integral part of this woman's universe, and he had no idea what to do about it.

* * *

Nyota Uhura flopped down on her bed in the dormitory room she shared with Christine. It was late morning, and Nyota was reminiscing about her meeting yesterday evening, going over every little detail in her mind. 'Well?' Christine asked. She was reclined on her bed, facing Nyota, with her head propped on both elbows.

'Well, what?' snapped Nyota, her concentration broken by Christine's voice.

'Well, what happened between _our _newest 'Fast Track' candidate and Captain Pike?'

'I didn't meet with Captain Pike,' said Nyota, trying to slide back into her thoughts.

'No need to get snippy,' replied Christine, 'just asked a question.'

'Sorry, Chris.' Nyota paused, then continued. 'Rand got me to the office on time, and I was all psyched up to meet Captain Pike. But I _guess _that Captain Pike had been reassigned or something, and his replacement is that Vulcan we met two nights ago at that bar.

'A-huh,' said Christine, rising to a seated position with renewed interest. 'Come on, Nyota, I'm dying to know what happened. Spit it out! He likes you by the way. Remember, it was I who said it first,' Christine said, pointing an eloquent finger at her chest.

'That's the last thing I want to hear right now, Christine. Do you want to hear the rest, or not?'

Christine acquiesced and Nyota continued. 'I went into the office expecting to meet Captain Pike, but this Vulcan, whose name is Commander Spock, was sitting at his desk. I walked in, sat down, and he just stared at me for a couple of seconds before asking me anything. I was shaking all over, because I didn't know what was expected of me. Of course, he recognized me I'm sure, but he never brought the fact up. Finally, he says in Vulcan, 'Cadet Uhura, I understand that you've applied to 'Fast Track, and that your application has recently been accepted by the Academy'.

'I was so taken aback, that I forgot all that I learned about the Vulcan language and Vulcans and used the informal dialect of Vulcan instead of the formal. I apologized, and then I answered correctly. Thank goodness that he didn't get offended…but Vulcans don't get offended, do they?' Nyota said, rambling on. 'He then gave me a rundown on the curriculum which starts full blast this fall. Oh, Christine, I hope it won't be too much for me. Anyway, there are two others in 'Fast Track' along with me… of course, you know about Samuel. I can't wait to see Samuel's face when I tell him,' Nyota said, grinning. 'And another student is going to show up in January. I'm the only one for Xenolinguistics. Other than that, he seemed to be really impressed with my resume´. He also noticed that I had already learned one of the three dialects of the Romulan language.'

'I'm sure that's not the only thing he was impressed with', Christine murmured.

'Oh Christine, you're just imagining things. Vulcans aren't interested in humans…expecially in a person who hasn't even taken her oath yet,' Nyota said. Christine's teasing was beginning to annoy her. She was glad that she had neglected to tell her that Spock had continued in the informal dialect of Vulcan for the rest of their conversation.

'And I just _bet _he's going to personally make sure to bring you up-to-speed in those other two dialects of Romulan that you're missing,' said Christine, continuing to tease Nyota.

'Hey, how did you know?'

'See, I told you, Nyota…he's got the hots for you.' Christine arched her back and grinned smugly at her new friend. 'What have you got against Vulcans? Open your eyes, Nyota! He's fine!'

'I don't have anything against Vulcans. I just think that you're wrong. It would be only logical in his mind to assist me when he's probably the only one on campus who knows all three dialects fluently.'

Christine shook her head at her friend's naivete´.

'Anyway...look! Samuel wrote me, today,' Nyota said, waving her PADD and also trying to change the subject.

Christine rose from her bed to look at the message. 'Wow! Not bad! Romantic type. Hey! You haven't been here a week, and you've already got _two_ suitors,' Christine said evilly.

Nyota gave her a wicked sidelong glance. 'Have you heard from Roger?' Nyota asked, hoping that the conversation would finally turn somewhere else.

'As a matter of fact, yes! He wanted to go out tonight, but I told him that we had this reception.'

Nyota really looked forward to the little get-together at the Recreational Center. She really wanted to prove to Christine that she was capable of relaxing and having a good time. She also wanted to get to know her other classmates to cement her place early in the class.

'Hmmm…well, we'd better get ready. The tour starts in two hours, and Rand told us that we needed to read some more regulations,' Nyota said. 'Have you tried on your uniform, yet?' And with that question, the conversation turned to other matters.

* * *

Boma arrived out of breath, and about five minutes late. It didn't matter; however, because the other cadets were also just arriving and gathering on the stage.

'Where's Connelly?' Boma demanded, looking around the stage for the missing cadet.

'She couldn't make it, Sam. She said that she had to study for an exam.'

'I thought finals were over!' Boma said angrily. The other cadets tensed, knowing Boma's touchy temper. 'We really need her soprano so that we can practice our duet!' Boma said, looking around helplessly.

"She's really struggling with her classes, Sam. I think all of this is too much for her,' said another cadet.

Boma took a deep breath. He was tired. The desert had taken a lot out of him. He and Spock had arrived back at the Academy just in time for him to grab a quick shower before hurrying off to the conservatory and now this. He would have to take another shower, he reflected, feeling the residue of the desert sand in uncomfortable crevasses in his body and hair.

'Well, we'll have to work around her,' he said. 'We're never going to get finished before summer break, and we'll just have a few weeks after the fall semester starts before our performance!' Boma stated unnecessarily.

The twenty cadets which made up the small theater group huddled around Boma. They were still in awe of working with a real star, and they all took a collective sigh of relief when Boma appeared to accept Connelly's truancy calmly.

'Ok…places everyone...we'll work on the third act. I'll just sing my part and you guys back me up!' The group perked up. They loved the third act. It was a duet, but they would be also involved in singing the choruses to the funny and slightly bawdy song. They knew this song would definitely be a crowd pleaser.

* * *

'And this is the Academy Conservatory,' the voice of the Yeoman intoned. The group was a large one, and it was strung out like an elongated snake as the tour of the Academy wound down. Christine and Nyota had straggled behind, taking a longer look at the sports facilities, and some of the more interesting figures working out on the machines.

'Oh! The Conservatory! I really want to see it,' said Nyota excitedly, rapidly catching up. The Yeoman had already moved on, but Nyota decided that she wanted a closer look. Leaving Christine and the group behind, she entered the building. The entranceway was typically dark when not in use, and she had to feel her way through the narrow passageway. Soon her eyes adjusted, and the lighting improved as the passageway widened as she made her way toward the voices that she had heard.

A curtain now separated her from what looked like a side entrance. Moving the curtain cautiously aside, she peered curiously through the opening which revealed a huge auditorium where many well-cushioned seats were positioned before a vast stage. She couldn't see very well from her vantage point, being at a weird angle from the stage, but she was able to make out a couple of the performers.

One of the figures walked authoratively across the stage and stood in position. Music started, and a deep baritone voice began to sing. She was immediately caught up in the song. It was a song that she had always enjoyed singing back home, and it was usually done in duet. She had no idea that such talent existed at the Academy as she listened appreciatively at the nuances and flexibility in the baritone's voice. She wondered what sort of talent would even want to come to the Academy. She tapped her foot to the infectious beat and waited anxiously for the entrance of the other singer, but the second voice never joined in. Strange. But the rest of the group started the chorus on time. Their voices really combined well together for a cadet chorus. Nyota grew bolder and stepped out of her hiding place and slid into one of the auditorium seats for a better look.

Now she had a good view of the stage. She craned her neck forward for a better look at the singer, and her mouth dropped open. It was Samuel! She couldn't believe it! And he didn't look shy at all as he belted out the bawdy tune. His stage presence and gesturing had mesmerized the rest of his colleagues, and she'd rather thought that they would miss their entrance into the second round of the chorus but they didn't. After they had finished the chorus, Samuel began the final verse. She started to hum the line, then made a decision and entered with her soprano where the duet was supposed to begin. It was worth it! Samuel's eyes grew to the size of saucers, but somehow he managed to continue his part of the duet. His eyes quickly scanned the rows of seats in the auditorium. To his credit, he didn't break voice when he saw her, but acknowledged her presence with surprised and appraising eyes. If he was irritated, his eyes didn't betray it. Motioning for her to approach the stage, Nyota continued to sing lustily as she reached the stage. Their voices weaved magically together and everybody seemed to stand still in the hall as they took note of the new singer. Samuel and Nyota finished the verse and the group joined in for the final refrain. Nyota also joined cheerfully in with the other singers. They all seemed to have an instant rapport as they finished the song in a roaring crescendo.

Everyone was smiling, looking at them, looking at each other, and gasping for breath!

'Nyota! What _are _you doing here?' exclaimed Samuel, with a pleased smile on his face. 'Your singing was extraordinary, by the way!'

'I might ask you the same, Samuel Boma. _I_ was just taking a tour of the Academy. I know you now…you are the famous actor, aren't you. Why didn't you tell me?'

'Well, I'm used to being recognized, and it was nice to be incognito for a while. Besides, I'm an ordinary cadet now,' Samuel said, as the rest of the cadets began gathering around.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as her memory spooled for any information she could recall on Samuel Boma. One thing for sure was that the information vids never portrayed him as liking to be incognito.

Samuel noticing her skepticism asked quietly, 'And did you get my message?'

'Yes, I did. It was very nice of you to write. I was thinking that you had forgotten all about me.'

He skipped the standard reply. 'Well, I wanted to make my message extra special,' he said smoothly.

'Hey! I'm in 'Fast Track', by the way!' Nyota announced, pridefully.

She had shocked Boma again. 'Great! We will be seeing a lot of each other then. And, of course, you're going to also join our little troupe, aren't you?' Boma asked, waving a hand to include the other cadets. Nyota looked around at the faces which had gathered around...eyes begging her to join.

'Samuel, isn't 'Fast Track' going to be a lot for me, and will I have time for this, too?'

'I'll help you with anything you need. I'm in 'Fast Track' for Physics, but I'm also proficient in Math and Engineering.'

'I just bet you are,' said Nyota pertly.

'Come on, Nyota.' His eyes pleaded. 'Say yes. I'll…we'll take care of you.' The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

She heard his double-meaning, but ignored it. She didn't quite feel comfortable with him now, knowing who he was, and feeling she had been deceived a little. This man had access to all the women on Earth and beyond, why would he be interested in her?

'Well, we'll see. Look, I've got to catch up with my tour group. I have no idea where they are now.'

'Just keep following the path around the Academy, you can't get lost.'

'Hey, are you going to the Cadet Reception tonight, Nyota?'

'Yes, I was planning on it. I thought it was only for Cadet Candidates?'

'Well, I've got connections,' he said cockily. "Would it be okay if I picked you up at the Cadet Candidate dorm…you and Christine, of course.'

'That would be great! Gotta run! See you then.'

Boma grinned as she ran out of the auditorium.

* * *

Spock was finished meditating when Boma returned to their room. Samuel took a look into their small living room and found Spock standing stiffly, looking through the window of their tiny patio. Spock turned to acknowledge Boma's presence. Boma had never seen Spock look puzzled.

'I don't mean to pry, but is something bothering you, Spock?'

Spock turned to face Boma, considered, and made a decision.

'Yes, Samuel, I think that I could use your assistance.'

Boma paused wide-eyed, not quite believing his ears.

'Ok. What's up?'

Spock took a seat on the couch, pressed his lips together, thinking how to formulate an appropriate question or statement.

''It's about human relationships'.

Boma quickly remembered their day, and jumped to the right topic but the wrong conclusion. Samuel's eyes lit up. 'It's about a girl, isn't it! Well, you've come to the right place!'

He excitedly took a seat on the small couch next to Spock. Samuel was elated that he could play matchmaker since he himself was on such a high. That Leila was hot! She would be perfect to bring some excitement into Spock's life!

'Spock...just take everything slowly. Get to know her first…and make sure that she doesn't have a boyfriend!' Boma chuckled. 'You wouldn't want to get into any fights over her.' Boma wondered vaguely about how this new development would sit with Finnegan.

'And although I know it's not normal for Vulcans, it's very important that you smile. Just a little. And humor. They like that too! You need to feel confident around her...and don't act nervous. That's definitely a turn-off.'

'And all of these things that you have mentioned will make a human female take notice of a male?' Spock asked innocently.

Boma looked at him puzzled. Leila seemed to be more than interested in him. Well, maybe Spock hadn't really noticed.

'I'm sure that she will notice you if you follow my instructions, my friend.'

'Do you have a girlfriend, Samuel?' Spock asked.

'No, not right at the moment….I don't have time for a relationship now.'

'Find time to spend with her…and don't forget to say her name a lot…they love to hear their names. Gotta shower, Spock…got to get rid of the rest of this annoying sand from my hair. I hope my advice helped. Keep me posted. And don't worry, I'm not leaving the Academy grounds tonight, so I don't need a chaperone,' he said, hurrying.

'By the way, Spock, if I see Finnegan tonight, I'll make sure to tell him about our meeting with Leila!' He winked, and left the room.

Spock thought hard about what Samuel had said. He would be making a tutoring session with Cadet Nyota Uhura as soon as possible.

* * *

_Thanks everyone for continuing to read this story. I know it may seem slow, but that's how relationships are, aren't they? I would really appreciate your reviews. Take time to leave a few words......did I say 'please'? Grin_


	11. Chapter 11

**Beautiful Music Together**

The Cadet Candidate Reception

_The evening was mild and serene. The doors to the balcony had been left open to let the warm wind and the romantic ambience of the approaching night into the room. From the balcony, the glistening water of the bay could be seen from Captain Pike's apartment. Nyota looked simply breathtaking as she gazed up at the stars which were beginning to appear in the night sky. Spock approached her slowly, and she didn't turn away...she desiring him as much as he desired her. Her sleeveless, sleek, Chinese-styled, black dress revealed smooth, brown arms which he began stroking gently. He lowered his face to her neck, his hands slowly moving up her back. She moaned slightly, turned fully towards him, and raised her face to his. His lips descended gently caressing the curve of her smooth neck. His hands reached for the two objects that held together her upswept hair. He gently removed them, carefully placing them in his pocket, while watching her silky hair tumble seductively about__ her shoulders. His hands slowly... finally ... touched what he had always dreamed about stroking. He ran his slim fingers carefully through, letting them slide slowly through her fluid strands. He began trembling, realizing that his final dream was about to be culminated. He opened his eyes, looked at her, and lowered his lips to hers. He noticed that her eyes were closed, as she groaned softly under his caresses. He could stand it no longer. His lips moved quickly to her waiting mouth as he crushed her to his body, his arms encircling her in a rough embrace. She matched his desire in every way and her hands encircled his waist and pulled his thighs close to hers..._

'Spock…hey, Spock, are you still here?' said Samuel, re-entering the now darkened living room.

'Yes, I'm here,' Spock said, sighing, clearing the picture of Nyota from his PADD.

'Sorry to bother you,' said Boma, as he noticed that Spock looked like he had been in the middle of meditating. 'I just wanted to tell you that I'm on my way to the cadet candidate reception, and that I'll be back about midnight.'

With that, Samuel was out of the room, and Spock had the room to himself again. He looked down at his PADD retrieving his picture of Nyota. He sighed again and calculated. He would have about four hours of free time until Samuel returned from the reception. He decided to outline his preparations for the 'Kobiyashi Maru' simulation. This would keep his mind from wandering. He had to coodinate with Engineering, Logistics, Human Resources and Medical, to ensure the simulation would be as realistic as possible. His fingers worked swiftly over the keys retrieving personnel, accounting, and space requirements for the project. His eyes kept wandering from time to time to the beautiful face of Uhura which he had now displayed in the upper corner of his PADD while he worked.

* * *

Christine and Nyota were making last-minute preparations for the party. They had been informed by Rand that they were allowed to wear civilian clothes to the reception since they were not officially cadets yet. Christine had chosen a tight-fitting navy blue dress which complemented her pale skin and her long blond hair. She had woven her hair into an elaborate braid for the evening. Nyota was wearing a daring black dress which reached her mid thigh. She had let her hair down and it played seductively around her shoulders and her back. A pair of dangling red earrings set off the black. Both women were delicately applying last touches to their make-up, when the door chimed. They both looked at each other and shrugged, because Samuel had called earlier to say that he wouldn't be able to pick them up, but would meet them later at the reception.

'Come', said Christine.

Four hulking bodies piled into their room. Christine suppressed a laugh, and Nyota grinned surprisingly as the four entered and lined up formally. When they had formed a straight line with what they supposedly called military attention, their spokesman announced:

'Ladies…we, Star Fleet's finest security team,' he paused, placing an honorable hand across his heart, 'are your official escort to the Recreation Hall tonight!'

Christine still grinning, rose, and cursied, saying, "We'd be honored to be escorted by Star Fleet's finest."

They all relaxed and laughed now. Nyota only knew the four men from occasional sightings. Christine must have somehow come into closer contact with them, but despite this, they all seemed to know Nyota.

The spokeman was huge, and he was an expert in all types of weaponry. The others were experts in computer security, interrogation techniques, and hand-to-hand combat. One thing that they all had in common was duty and loyalty. They also possessed the willingness to serve to their upmost ability. And, of course, like all in their class, they had worked hard and were good enough to have made it to the Academy. They were all striving to be assigned to Starfleet's flagship upon graduation. From the looks of at least two of them, Nyota had not doubts that they would achieve their goals.

'We're almost ready. We'll meet you outside in five minutes,' Christine said.

'That was very chivalrous of them,' said Nyota, laughing as the four exited their room.

'Yes, it was! So, let's take a look at you! Wow! You look great!'

'Turn around, Christine. Let me see the back of your dress.'

'What do you think, Nyota? Should I cut my hair a bit? It's getting harder and harder to manage, and I don't want to have to worry about it when I'm in training.'

Christine twirled, her braid moving with her.

'You may have a point...but tonight...you look great!'

Nyota took Christine's arm and led her to the mirror where they both stood admiring themselves.

"What can we say? We are just 'simply the best'!" They looked at each other and laughed.

"Don't forget our bet tonight, Nyota, as they both headed towards the door."

'And you remember your part,' warned Nyota, with a hard glance warning Christine not to say another word about a certain subject.

Christine ignored Nyota giving her a sly, superior grin. Then they both left the room to meet the guys outside.

* * *

Samuel was annoyed. He had received an 'urgent' message from Finnegan to meet him at the Rec Hall about 45 minutes before the recepton was scheduled to begin. He had no idea what Finnegan wanted and how Finnegan was able to get his PADD data to even send him a message. Samuel had to cancel with Nyota, but promised to meet her and Christine later.

Samuel walked swiftly towards the hall. The night was warm and all the windows of the Recreation Hall were open including the veranda doors which exposed an ample sitting area. Inside, he could see a grand piano in the corner of the room, and many tables which were decorated to accommodate the cadets. Servers moved swiftly in and out of the room delivering condiments for the upcoming party. A couple of upperclass cadets were making final preparations on the room's decorations. Boma entered the door to the Rec Center and looked around. He hadn't noticed the cadet standing stiffly by the door and now standing at his right side. The cadet motioned for Boma to follow him. Boma obeyed and followed the cadet through a doorway where they were joined by three other cadets effectually boxing Boma in. They walked down a hallway with many doors and approached the one at the very end of the hallway. The leading cadet opened the door.

Boma was not prepared for the deputation that greeted him upon entering the room. A broad, shiny table separated him and the figure at the head of the table. The escorting cadets left their positions around him and took their places at the table leaving him feeling strangely vulnerable and exposed. Finnegan rose with a serious look on his broad face, not a tooth exposed. The other cadets rose at his cue. He rang his empty glass with the back of a little spoon to call the 'meeting' to order. An empty place remained at the table which Boma suspected would belong to him shortly.

'Welcome to our club, Cadet Samuel Boma. You have been selected to take the place of a loyal member of our club who will be leaving in two weeks.' Finnegan looked at Boma daring him to reject his place. Boma sensibly just listened.

'We are called 'The Seers'. Our goal is to make sure we have knowledge of every intrigue, happening, or scandal at Star Fleet Academy before the knowledge is made public...and to take advantage of it if the opportunity arises. We require no oaths and no swearing-in, just absolute loyalty. There will be a little initiation which you will find out about later on this evening,' Finnegan said, finally revealing a wicked grin.

'We protect our members fully,' he continued. 'Denying our generous invitation into our hallowed group constitutes betrayal, since you have been pre-selected to be an honorable member of our society.'

How Finnegan could keep a straight face through this speech was beyond Boma. He sighed inwardly knowing that Finnegan had won this round. Obviously, Finnegan had not forgotten how he had confronted him that day in the cafeteria which had been a serious blow to the group. Boma had to admit that this was a shrewd move since he could now never boast about how he had dismissed Finnegan and his thugs.

'Any questions?'

Boma responded negatively, staring absently at Finnegan.

'Good', said Finnegan, as he rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. Finnegan respectfully nodded Boma to the empty seat. He then gave his trademark toothy grin, and a cork was popped. An unknown substance was poured into everyone's glass.

'A toast to our newest member!' Everyone took up his glass and toasted to Boma's health much to his chagrin.

'Now to business', Finnegan said, waiting for everyone to be seated. 'Cadet Finney has some new information updates.'

Finney stood and addressed the other members. 'I have made a couple of updates to our 'PADD'." Everyone smiled broadly. Not only does it pick up personal data now, but it also measures physiological and mental status.'

'How will that help us improve our task of overseering?' asked Finnegan.

'Well, knowing the mental state of our targets, we can determine what they are feeling when they are looking at an individual which will provide us with more information to properly oversee and care for our fellow classmates.'

'Technological bullies', Boma thought.

Finnegan ended the meeting exactly 30 minutes after its beginning. Boma was now formally greeted by his new colleagues, who shook his hand and introduced themselves.

'A word, Cadet Boma', Finnegan said, lifting a finger before Boma could leave the room.

Boma walked over and faced him. 'I know you are brilliant, but we are no slouches, either.' Finnegan tapped the PADD and all of Boma's personal information and more flooded the screen.

"So that's how that slimy serpent knew,'"thought Boma, looking at a miniature of his face which had appeared on the screen.

Finnegan's eyes grew cold. "I'm very serious, Boma. You belong to us now. We won't go after you if something 'happens' to our organization. We'll just destroy the careers of the ones you love. Another picture flashed on the screen. A very recent picture of a lovely woman singing a duet with a man. He had no idea that his eyes looked so interested at the person he was serenading with. Boma kept his features neutral, and just said, 'Understood'. Finnegan had won this round, but he would find a way to bring him down. It would be difficult, because apparently, the organization had their eyes everywhere.

* * *

He had been working for about an hour before his plans had fallen into logical and methodical order. After outlining his plan on the 'Kobiyashi Maru', Spock carefully planned in the remaining places in his summer program. He ended up saving two appointments per week for Uhura. He then forwarded meeting times to everyone on his list. Satisfied, he took one last look at her picture. He knew that he would be unable to meditate, so he decided to take a walk instead. Of course, his path took him in the directon of the Recreation Hall.

* * *

The four-cadet escort tried their best to keep their eyes straight ahead as they escorted the ladies down the terrazzo in the direction of the Recreation hall. It was nearly impossible; however, because Nyota and Christine were walking directly ahead of them. They looked impossibly gorgeous in their dresses, and their hair! The men occasionally exchanged glances, looking at one another wondering if the others were having the same thoughts. Probably. They knew these women were way out of their league, but they felt bound to protect them from undeserving thugs. If they couldn't have access, they would make sure nobody else did, either.

The place was nearly full when they entered…most of their classmates having left earlier. Many admiring eyes turned and lingered longer than necessary as Christine and Nyota entered the room and made their way to an empty table. At about the same moment, Samuel entered the room looking a bit flustered to Nyota's eyes. She wondered what was wrong. He smiled at Nyota when he spotted her, and walked over to her table. Nyota smiled smuggly at Christine, who didn't seem to be worried. She was sure that she would win their bet.

When Samuel reached their table, he pulled up a bit before greeting her, noticing the grim looks of her 'bodyguards'. Christine just smiled at Samuel's confusion.

'How long have you been here?' Samuel said, sliding onto the couch beside Nyota, earning sidelong glances from the security team.

'We actually just arrived. You came at the right time, ' said Nyota, as some upperclass cadets entered the room and approached a lectern positioned in the center of the room.

Flanked by her companions, the cadet took her place at the lectern, and waited for the noise to die down. All were dressed in formal uniform, creating a professional, but welcoming impression. 'We would like to formally welcome the new cadet candidates to Star Fleet Academy. Your class will be joining you in about a week when you will be formally inducted into the Cadet Wing. We hope that you have a nice time tonight, and we'll be having another get together when your entire class arrives. Curfew is at 00:00 tonight. Have a good time!'

Someone started to clap, and others softly joined in as the upperclassmen left the hall.

'Short and sweet,' said Samuel. 'Exactly the type of speech that I like!'

'Wow. It was nice of the upperclassmen to do this for us,' said Christine.

'I heard that this club does this every year to welcome the incoming class,' somebody else chimed in.

'Well, they could have waited until our entire class arrived...'

'But, they didn't. More food for us!' said a guard, making the entire table laugh.

'What did they give us to wash all of this down?' said Nyota. 'Hopefully, nothing too weak!'

Christine looked at her shocked. 'Learning more about you every hour...'

Nyota laughed, tossing her hair from side to side.

The hum again died down, and the faces in the room automatically turned towards the center of the room. As they had all surmised, somebody else had taken a place at the lectern. He was also flanked by cadets, but these cadets didn't look welcoming or friendly at all.

'I also have an announcement to make!' the surly voice said, causing everyone in the room to pay strict attention to him.

'It feels like these guys are going to fatten us up for the kill', whispered one of the security guys, stuffing his third finger sandwich in his mouth. The others just nodded wiping the crumbs from their mouths and continued to listen.

A couple of the upperclassmen had broken off from the others and headed towards Nyota's table. The group at the table tensed, but Boma already knew their target. He stood waiting for them. This must be part of his so-called initiation.

'We would like to introduce you to your new classmate, Samuel Boma, intergalatic star, who has agreed to sing a special song for this occasion!' said Finnegan triumphantly.

Some cadet candidates gave Boma a second look. 'Is he really Samuel Boma?' someone whispered.

'What would he be doing at the Academy?' replied another, as speculative glances and whispers dominated the room.

Samuel bowed and smiled resigningly at Nyota, looking at her for support...his face saying, 'this isn't my fault, is it?'

He felt like killing Finnegan, but quickly got another idea. He whispered into Nyota's ear. Nyota looked up at him as if to protest, but he said quietly, 'Please help me out.' He squeezed her arm gently, and she relaxed into submission.

The cadets nudged Boma and walked him towards the piano.

'We were just wondering if you could sing us something special to mark this special occasion,' said Finnegan smuggly. Samuel looked a bit rebellious, sniffing at the double meaning.

"A welcoming ballad for the entire class,' Finnegan finished, crossing his arms.

Everyone had gone silent in the room. Others had wandered in from the veranda to see what was going on.

Boma smiled and looked at Nyota.

'Well, only if I can have _that _beautiful lady accompany me'.

Nyota felt all eyes on her as she slowly walked to the piano where Samuel stood smiling.

'Just follow my lead…we'll see if we can do this in duet form,' he said, whispering in her ear.

Christine and the security team looked awestruck as Nyota and Samuel stood at the piano. They didn't know quite what to expect! Then by some inner instinct, Christine whipped out her PADD, eyes scanning the room. She moved away from the crowd descending on Nyota and Samuel.

He seemed to just be casually walking by the clear, glass windows of the Recreational Center, but she knew better. Everyone was so concentrated on Nyota and Samuel that they did not notice the lone Vulcan who stood by a small, unobstrusive door at the entrance to the room. Again, no emotion...like Christine had noticed earlier when they were in the bar... it was all in his eyes. She had no idea why she was badgering her friend about the Vulcan, or even making an effort in proving her point. There was nothing wrong with Samuel, and Nyota seemed to like him as well. But the intensity of the Vulcan's look. All that Christine could think of is she wished that somebody would look at her that way.

Samuel sat down. Nyota leaned back seductively on the curve of the grand piano, after having made a decision to enjoy the moment. She hummed low, making sure her voice would be ready.

'I think that everyone knows this song,' Samuel said, his nimble and experienced fingers running along the keys of the piano. He started tenderly, and began the most heart-wrenching introduction to the song that Nyota had ever heard. Finnegan even gaped, then leaned back against a wall. Samuel looked at her and then focused on the song:

_The skies are green and glowing_

_Where my heart is_

_Where my heart is_

_Where… the scented lunar flower is blooming_

_Somewhere, beyond the stars_

_Beyond Antares_

Samuel then nodded, and Nyota took over at the second verse….

_I'll be back though it takes forever_

_Forever is just a day…_

She sang with such delicacy and grace that everyone stopped eating and moving. The room was completely riveted on the pair. Spock stood apart on the outskirts of the veranda, taking in the scene, moving towards another small door to get an unobstructed view. He stared mesmerized. He noticed that her hair was down, and her neck was provocatively exposed as she threw back her neck to sing.

Samuel and Nyota looked at each other, nodded, and began the third verse together.

_And let the years go fading_

_Where my heart is _

_Where my heart is_

_Where…my love eternally is waiting_

_Somewhere, beyond the stars_

_Beyond Antares_

The cadets went wild and clapped furiously as Samuel and Nyota finished the last verse. Finnegan, although impressed, flushed in anger as he had not succeeded in isolating Boma from the rest of his class. Samuel beamed as Nyota took in the applause around them. Suddenly, Nyota spun around and looked about her. She could have sworn that she was having the same feeling that she had in the shuttle. Strange.

'That was great, Nyota!' said someone.

'I didn't know you could sing like that,' piped in another.

'That was the most beautiful rendition of 'Beyond Antares' that I've ever heard!' Christine exclaimed, fighting through the crowd to congratulate Nyota, bringing her back to reality.

Samuel and Nyota moved away from the piano and were immediately surrounded by their fellow cadets. Nyota tried to keep track of all the names she received, and then just gave up deciding to concentrate on faces. They spent the rest of the time together talking, eating, and bonding with each other which was the entire point of the party.

Samuel was very annoyed that Nyota's escort insisted on taking the women back to their dorm room. Way too many annoyances without rewards this evening. He would have liked to finally have a few minutes, (or more), with Nyota alone. The chemistry between them was great. He didn't know that they could sing so successfully together, even better than with Lenore, although he would never tell her that.

* * *

Nyota chattered merrily as she and Christine got ready for bed. They talked about everything, whom they had met, who was fine, how wonderful Samuel had been, and, of course, the food. Christine richly contributed to the conversation, talking cheerfully, but secretly waiting to spring.

Nyota told Christine that she had met one particularly nice cadet that said that her major _was_ in Xenolinguistics, but she had changed her mind and was going to study medicine.

'Did you meet her?' she asked Christine.

'No, but if she's going to study medicine, I'll meet her in the future. Is she staying with us?'

'No, I think that they gave her an accommodation somewhere on campus.'

'Lucky her.'

Finally, Nyota noting a lull in the conversation said, 'Well, well, looks like you've got to permanently stop teasing me about a certain Vulcan. See, I told you, he wouldn't show up!' Nyota said triumphantly, neglecting to tell Christine that she had just received a message that she had a meeting with him the following week.

'I believe that my part of the bet was that he would show up at the party tonight.'

Christine whipped out her PADD. 'Taken at 21:18 tonight. I win!'

* * *

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that it takes so long to update, but I really want to make each chapter as perfect as possible. Sometimes the ideas don't come as fast as I would like._


	12. Chapter 12

Beautiful Music Together.

A Trip to Iowa

Nyota looked at Christine, the picture on Christine's PADD, then at Christine again.

'Commander Spock could have been at our party for anything,' Nyota said, weakly.

'I win-in', Christine chimed, waving her PADD in her hand victoriously and pointing it at Nyota. 'So, if he asks you out, you have to go.'

'Ok, ok, you win', Nyota said a little annoyed.

'And…I get to talk about him to you any time and anywhere I want to.'

'Ok, again,' Nyota said, pouting not at all happy with the outcome, 'but please moderate your comments, okay?'

Christine sat down happily on her bed with a cryptic smile on her face. Reading her PADD, she cheerfully ignored Nyota and her apparent chagrin.

Nyota just glared at Christine's profile wondering where all this would lead. Suddenly, Christine's face changed to wonder.

'Hey, Nyota! Captain Pike has just sent a message to all cadet candidates saying that if we want to see the new starship that Star Fleet is building in Iowa, we need to be at the space dock tomorrow at 09:00...the trip will last two days....we need to reply immediately... and we have to bring our military issue.'

Nyota picked up her PADD and read the same message.

'Have you confirmed?'

'Hmm…I really don't want to go, Nyota. I've got a date with Roger which I can't and don't want to miss this time.'

'Well, I've got nothing better to do,' said Nyota, lying. She not only wanted to see the ship, but she also wanted to avoid her meeting with the mysterious Commander Spock. She just couldn't come to grips that he was interested in her.

She typed in her confirmation for the trip, and wrote the Commander that she was going to be in Iowa for the next couple of days, and that their meeting would have to be postponed. A trip to Iowa. Just what the doctor ordered to clear her head.

* * *

Leila Kalomi shifted nervously as Amanda Grayson carefully sipped a spoonful of Plomeek soup from the steaming bowl. A slow grin spread across Amanda's face as Leila waited anxiously for the verdict.

'Perfect!' Amanda said, wondering at the look of relief on the young woman's face. 'What response did you expect? You grow and nurture the best plants on Earth, and I've come to expect only the best from you!'

Amanda was very fond of Leila. She sighed and thought of Spock, wishing he could meet this wonderful woman. But Spock was so private in such matters. _Perhaps, it would be possible_, she mused.

Leila grinned, breathing a huge sigh of relief as Amanda finished the serving and handed the bowl and spoon back to her. Leila always looked forward to Amanda's visits. She had really worked hard growing the produce to supplement the Vulcan ambassador's household…and a compliment from Amanda...although not hard to come by...was always forthright and sincere.

'Leila', said Amanda, looking earnestly at the young woman, 'as a reward for all of your hard work, I would like to invite you to the Ambassador's Summer Ball in July. My husband would be honored to meet you. Do you think that you will have time to attend?' She privately wondered if the girl ever took leisure time away from her plants.

Leila flushed with joy! 'Of course! Thank you! I've never been to a ball before!'

'Please feel free to bring a friend with you, but I have someone that I would like you to meet, anyway,' Amanda said, cunningly. 'The last time I asked you about any relationships, you said that you weren't seeing anybody.'

'Yes, you're right, I'm not seeing anybody, but…'

'But what, dear? You're interested in somebody?' Amanda said, perking up.

'I have to be honest, Amanda,' said Leila, setting the bowl and spoon down on a little table. 'I met your son, Spock, about two months ago', she said, keeping her eyes on the objects.

'You met Spock! Where?'

'He was here with another cadet. I showed him around our Baja complex.'

'What did he want?' Amanda said, eyes bulging, reeling from shocked.

'I think that it had something to do with a guy that likes me at the Academy,' Leila said, her pretty nose wrinkling in disgust.

'And you've taking a liking to _my_ Spock?' said Amanda, enthusiastically.

Leila tried not to grin, but one slipped out anyway as she gathered courage and finally looked at Amanda.

'Well, we'll see if we can kill two birds with one stone,' she said, smiling warmly at the girl.

'I'll send a transport over later to pick up the produce and flowers that I've marked,' Amanda said, noting the time, and slowly moved towards her ground car.

Leila walked with Amanda and opened the door for the older woman. 'Also, Leila, please tell Elias to expect a large order from me for the ball at the end of June.'

Closing the door to the car and waving goodbye, Leila watched the ground car hover and leave. Then she hugged herself ecstatically at the prospect of meeting Spock again.

* * *

Nyota was happy to see many familiar faces as they gathered outside the dorm to take the transport to the space dock. Her four 'bodyguards' from last night were also there. She greeted them as they made their way over to her.

'Where's your roommate?' one said, peering through the growing crowd of cadet candidates.

'Christine? She decided not to come. She had another appointment to keep,' Nyota stated cryptically. One of the men frowned skeptically, then shrugged.

'Too bad. We really had a good time last night.'

'Yeh! Thankfully, they prepared plenty of food!' said another, taking a quick look at his friend's bulk.

'All muscle here,' said the object of the teasing, flexing his midsection.

Nyota laughed softly. 'It was a nice party, wasn't it. Thanks for escorting us back to our rooms, by the way.'

Nyota still felt bad for Samuel, smiling as she remembered the look of disappointment on his face. After their romantic duet together, she was sure that he wanted to end the night on a different note. She let the idea tease her for a minute.

'Remember, we're your protection,' said the guard, breaking into her thoughts, with the other three nodding, 'if you ever need _anything_, we'll be right there.'

'OK. I'll remember that, and thanks,' she said, watching their retreating backs, as they all found seats in the transport.

Nyota looked around, and suddenly became excited. She was about to visit the future flagship of Star Fleet.

The tour of the ship was much more exciting than she had ever imagined. The ship hung huge as she looked up at the unfinished project. First, they were taken on a virtual tour of the ship, and then they were flown by shuttlecraft around the incomplete hull. Everyone gaped in awe, and dreamed about being assigned to the flagship upon graduation. Their tour guide seemed to be more excited than the cadets were. She could hardly understand his Scottish burr sometimes especially when he was discussing the leading-edge technology that was being incorporated into the engines. His enthusiasm was catching, and every cadet in attendance drooled at the chance of getting the flagship upon graduation. Uhura made it her top priority.

After an exhausting, but satisfying day, they all decided to go to a bar, which had been recommended by their tour guide. It provided Nyota an opportunity to get to know her classmates and cement names and faces to memory. She was fast becoming a favorite to everyone that met her; the source of fun, drink, and entertainment. They knew that this would probably be the last time to relax before basic training and the rigours of being an official cadet at Star Fleet Academy. Coincidentally, the oath ceremony was scheduled the day they were scheduled to fly back to San Francisco.

The following day was spent 'touring' the individual sections of the ship of the future cadet's interest. Nyota listened closely to the lecture on the bridge section. She had no idea that the responsibilities of 'Communications' officer would be so vast. Not only would she be required to be fluent in 'everything', but she would also have to be able to understand the helm, life sciences, security, etc., in essence, she would have to interpret every heartbeat of the ship.

That night would be the last night before going back to the Academy. She looked forward to a couple of stiff ones after her long day. Captain Pike said he would be making an appearance later on that evening, so Uhura and the other cadet candidates opted not to wear civilian clothes, but their uniforms. She had told her 'bodyguards' that she would be arriving a bit later, wanting to study some more schematics before arriving at the bar. They acquiesced, told her to be careful and to hurry up, because she was responsible for ordering and paying for the drinks that night.

Finally finished and dressing quickly, she left the cubicle which had served as her dorm room while in Iowa, and walked down the dirt road leading to the bar. She could already hear the music, (one of her favourite tunes), and the loud voices emanating from the old building. She opened the door, gave herself a final lookover, and strutted confidently into the bar. Everyone seemed to be having a great time already, and she was greeted enthusiastically by many of her new friends. She headed straight for the bar, wanting to take care of ordering drinks first, then relaxing and having fun with her friends. Unfortunately, the night ended shortly after she had ordered the drinks. She hoped that Captain Pike would not remember her face amongst the faces involved in the fracas.

She entered the shuttle the next morning, and pointedly ignored her 'bodyguards' who had the grace not to look in her direction as she passed by. She was furious with them, and at the brutality that they showed towards that farm boy. Yes, he was annoying and drunk, but they had overdone it. Suddenly, the shuttle got very quiet. She thought that Captain Pike had entered the shuttle, but as she looked around there _he _was, the same surly face, swollen in unrepentance. Star Fleet MUST be very desperate, she mused to herself. He even had the nerve to try to flirt with her again. She had to smile at his feeble attempt...his confidence still brimming despite his bruised face. She shook her head and rolled her eyes in bemusement at his audacity. Ignoring him, she turned her mind to other things as the shuttle lifted off. At the end of that day, she would be Cadet Uhura.

The transport let most of the cadet candidates off at the dormitory, then it continued on to the Academy with the other cadet candidates who had to be processed and quickly sized for uniforms before attending the swearing-in ceremony starting in an hour. She walked into the entrance of the dormitory, entered into the foyer, and tensed. Yeoman Rand was standing at the duty desk. Two bags were at her feet. Something seemed to be wrong, but she couldn't place it. Rand began to smile. Was she smiling at her?

'Relax, Uhura. I'm not in charge of you guys anymore. In fact, I'm coming with you. I've just been accepted to Star Fleet Academy!'

Uhura looked shocked, not quite knowing what to say.

'Congratulations,' she managed to mumble.

Rand walked cautiously over to her. 'My name's Janice, by the way,' she said, looking less confident realizing that she needed friends at the Academy.

Uhura took her outstretched hand. 'Mine is Nyota. So what time are we leaving, Janice?'

Rand smiled in relief. 'In 30 minutes, if you can be ready by that time,' she said gruffly, then smiled. Nyota took it as a joke like it was meant to be.

'Oh yes, some guy named Boma is waiting for you at your door.'

'Nyota walked down the hallway, and there he was, dressed in full uniform. He looked dashingly handsome.

'What are you doing here?' she said, giving him a surprised and warm smile.

'Well, I'm going to be in the audience witnessing your swearing in. And I'm here to warn you. After you've finished swearing-in and leave the building, there will be a 'welcoming committee' waiting outside the doors to escort you 'newbies' to the dining hall for lunch. I hope that you're up on your Academy regulations. They'll have _you_ for lunch if you're not.'

Nyota grinned. 'Thanks for the warning. I'll tell Christine also. Give me a minute! I need to pack my things, and freshen up a bit!'

Christine, Nyota, Samuel, and Janice emerged from the cadet candidate dormitory with bags in hand, and dumped them unceremoniously on the ground for pickup later. Samuel wished them all good luck as they took their places in line with the other cadet candidates and marched, or attempted to march, to their destiny. On their way, their motley group was merged with other aspiring cadets. The group grew as they neared their destination. Entering the Academy amphitheater, the bulk of the new class was already seated and in place. She looked around at the multitude of faces and races, wondering at the dreams of everybody...and the competition. They found three seats together, looked around, and gazed nervously at each other. Suddenly, the amphitheater went deadly quiet. All eyes turned, and everybody rose as Admiral Komack entered the amphitheater with Captain Pike, and solemnly walked up to the lectern in the middle of the room. Gripping the ends of the lectern firmly, he faced the cadets.

* * *

Finally. Hope you all are still with me! Will try to post the next chapter within two weeks. Check out my other story, (which also needs updating...grin), 'No Alternative to Love'.


	13. Chapter 13

Beautiful Music Together.

Getting Down to Basics. (Part 1)

Admiral Richard Barnett, Dean of Star Fleet Academy, made a slight adjustment to his uniform before entering the main area of the amphitheater. The din in the building immediately ceased when Admiral Barnett, accompanied by Admiral James Komack, head of Star Fleet Command, and Captain Christopher Pike, walked briskly to the center of the amphitheater. Komack and Pike took the seats which had been placed at the sides of the podium. Admiral Barnett approached the podium, cleared his voice, and gave a brief welcome to the incoming class. He then introduced Admiral Komack who immediately took his place. Komack paused, looked solemnly over the new class, then commenced in giving a typical, but uplifting speech on what was expected from the best and brightest of the Federation.

During the Admiral's speech, Captain Pike sought out the face of Cadet James Kirk amongst the multitude of cadets in the audience. Pike finally located him sitting stoically in his formal uniform observing the proceedings. Pike privately wondered if Kirk would fit into the structured, military lifestyle of Star Fleet Academy after being a delinquent for so many years. Pike decided not to dwell on it; Kirk had been given a second chance in life, and now he had to find a way to take advantage of his opportunity. As Admiral Komack continued speaking, Pike's view widened to include the fresh, young faces of the incoming class. Here he hoped to find his future officers to crew Star Fleet's new flagship, the U.S.S. Enterprise. Exceptional talent had been lacking in the previous class, so he was counting on recruiting heavily from this class. If he couldn't find the needed talent here, then he would have to recruit from Russia or India, which might not be a bad idea now that he considered it.

The Admiral finished his speech with a final flourish of inspirational words, and Captain Pike took his place at the podium. He reminded the cadets of the seriousness of their upcoming committment, and that the oath they were about to take would bind them to a higher standard as long as they remained in Star Fleet. He directed his last words especially at Cadet Kirk who shifted uneasily in his seat. He then instructed all cadets to rise, to raise their right hands, and to repeat after him. Quoting from memory, Captain Pike intoned the oath clearly, and the cadets repeated the words under the watchful eyes of the Admirals and Captain Pike. When the last line was uttered, Captain Pike respectfully stepped back, and Admiral Barrett again approached the podium.

With a pleased and dignified smile, Admiral Barrett announced, 'Star Fleet Academy officially welcomes the Class of 2259! Congratulations and good luck as you reach for the stars.'

With these parting words, the two Admirals and Captain Pike made their way to a side exit. Nyota felt a thrill of exhilaration when Admiral Barnett officially welcomed her class. She remembered how excited she had been when she had received her appointment to Star Fleet Academy, and now her dream was finally being realized. The doors at the back of the amphitheater swung open as if on cue, letting in sunshine and fresh air. The freshly initiated cadets rose and filed out quickly leaving their personal seal by way of thumb print on PADDs located on each aisle which officially activated their status as fourth class cadets. The three women grinned and squeezed hands briefly as they silently congratulated each other on the first step of their journey. They were still filing out when they heard some sort of commotion starting outside.

'Oh, oh,' said Rand, grinning nervously, 'the fun is about to begin!'

Christine and Nyota looked at her in a questioning manner, but Nyota remembered what Samuel had warned earlier and whispered to Christine. They smiled anxiously at each other, eyes widening a bit in anticipation as they made their way out the doors onto the broad terrazzo where the upperclassmen were waiting to escort the cadets to the mess hall.

Nyota felt a slight bump beside her. _Someone that just can't wait to get out_, she surmised. A lateral glance told her what she should have guessed in the first place. The bruised face of Jim Kirk was grinning at her. She had to admit, that he looked very different showered and sober. His uniform actually gave him a dignified look, (as if that would change her mind about him), and the interested look on Janice Rand's face, verified her claim that Jim Kirk, despite his scratches, was looking quite fine. She would have to warn Janice about him as soon as possible. She didn't have time to respond to his improper nudge as Christine and Janice immediately got separated from her as they entered the 'fray'. Kirk somehow had managed to stay beside her, but was stopped by an upperclassmen who began assaulting him loudly with questions. Again she had underestimated him, looking at him with renewed respect. He hadn't had time to study his regulations, but as he had astounded her with his knowledge of 'Xenolinguistics', he rattled off his answers effortlessly. She only had a chance to hear part of his responses when a cadet approached her.

* * *

Samuel had watched everything from the sidelines with an amused expression on his face. He had already put on his third class insignia, so he was ignored even though he would be going through basic training with his new classmates. After watching the ladies a couple of minutes more, and smiling slightly at their discomfiture when they failed to answer correctly, Samuel decided to head towards the mess hall to avoid the inevitable rush. The sun shone warmly on his face as he contemplated all that had occurred since his arrival six months previously. His life had been totally transformed, and he wondered if anything would ever be the same. He smiled as he reminisced about Lenore and the theatre troupe. He thought about what his decision would be in January. He still couldn't see himself as a career officer entrenched in the military. But Nyota…ahhh…Nyota. She was the main reason why he stayed. He felt things were going exactly as planned with her. The result would be worth the wait.

He suddenly found himself standing in front of the building, realizing he still had a couple of minutes before the cadets reached the hall. Upon entering, he was amazed at the transformation which had taken place within the room. Partitions which had previously sealed off the room into smaller sections, had been opened revealing the massiveness of the complete dining hall. The outer doors of the mess hall had also been opened to accommodate the influx of the new cadets. The large balcony which overlooked the dining hall, had been outfitted with round tables for the commanding officers when they dined. His mood was immediately dashed; however, when he saw Finnegan and his colleagues already waiting like many sharks at their reserved table. Finnegan waved Boma over unnecessarily since that was where Samuel had been headed.

'Samuel, nice to see you've arrived early,' Finnegan said, welcoming him with a chair. He continued in a much lower voice. 'I want to thank you again for fixing up things with Leila. She actually replied to a message that I sent to her last week.' He sighed dreamingly. 'I have another favor to ask you,' Finnegan said, snuggling in confidentially making sure that no one would overhear. 'Leila is working just outside the Academy now. I would really appreciate it if you would pay her another visit, and put in another good word for me.' Finnegan clasped both his hands together in a gesture resembling prayer. Boma _almost _felt sorry for him.

* * *

Leila Kalomi held the precious envelope carefully in her hands as she and Elias sat in the relative coolness of the Arizona room which protected them from the afternoon sun. The invitation had arrived at the horticultural center that morning, and Elias was now watching Leila and the contents of her hands with more than a passing interest.

'I told you what it was, Eli, you needn't look so nervous!' Leila smiled at the older man, but didn't wonder at his curiousity, for she also was curious.

'Why would the ambassador's wife invite _you_ to such an event with all those important dignitaries, Leila. Won't you feel a bit out of place?'

'Amanda just wants to thank me for providing such wonderful plants and vegetables for her. She also wants to introduce me to her husband, the Vulcan ambassador.'

Elias humphed as she continued examining and delicately fingering the envelope which was embroidered with gold, lace-like trim. Her name was etched elaborately on the outside. An official seal and a gold ribbon finished off the impressive decoration. She fiddled with the golden clasp which sealed the contents, trying Elias's patience a little longer. Elias scowled at her game, and she grinned mischievously. Finally, she twisted the clasp and carefully pulled out its contents. She immediately admired the beautiful script as she read the invitation.

'Well?' said Elias, craning his neck forward.

'Well, what? It's only an invitation, Eli. Here, read it!' she said, handing it to him. 'It gives the place, the date, and time of the ball.'

Elias's eyes quickly scanned the invitation and then looked at the other papers which were in Leila's hand.

'And…' she continued, 'there is a 'Schedule of Events' page, and a letter to me from Amanda, which I will keep personal if you don't mind.' At that, she withdrew into the inner recesses of the building to read the letter privately. Leila passed through other rooms which were occupied by workers also enjoying the siesta until she found an empty one. She then sat in a comfortable chair and read the informal letter:

_**My dear Leila,**_

_**As promised, here's your official invitation to the Ambassador's Ball. Also, enclosed is a schedule. Please be sure to RSVP for the events that you care to attend.**_

_**As I said, you are welcome to bring a friend.**_

_**My husband and I hope you will attend.**_

**_Fondly,_**

**_Amanda Grayson_**

_**P.S. If I were you, I would avoid the delegate procession and the credential presentation ceremonies like the plague. Hint. Hint. The dinner and evening dance are formal events which I highly recommend. Wink.**_

Leila paused, hugging the letter. July couldn't come a moment too soon for her.

* * *

Boma knew that the arrival of the first wave of cadets was imminent as the sound of voices began to rise outside. Finney aimed his altered PADD towards the first arrivals, scanning for anything extraordinary. He immediately transferred the data of the more interesting cadets to a PADD that Finnegan had laid flat upon his table. 'Hmm,' commented Finnegan, leaning over and reviewing the data. 'So far, we have twenty sons and daughters of admirals, commodores, and captains, five Deltans, a Fotiallan…never met one, strange readings...six sons and daughters of current and former diplomats…two Orions…' At the word 'Orions', Finnegan's gang gathered even closer to get a better look at their pictures. Finnegan on the other hand, put a hand to his mouth and slightly yawned. After five more minutes of browsing, he was almost ready to dismiss the new class as a bunch of also-rans.

Suddenly, he perked up, as a beautiful face crossed the screen. 'Wow! Who's that? Isn't that your woman, Boma? She looks even hotter in person!' exclaimed Finnegan. Boma looked at the entrance, and sure enough, Nyota had just entered the dining hall.

'And look what's waggin' its tail after her!'

A cadet with bruises and a crooked grin on his face had just entered the hall. He looked at his new environs with an air of confidence and ownership. Finnegan hated him on sight. Unknown to the cadet, two burly-looking guys had followed in on his heels watching his every move_. A cadet who already has enemies_, thought Finnegan looking at the arrogant face. He flagged Finney immediately to get more information on the small group of cadets.

Finney suddenly looked up with a shocked look on his face as he transferred the latest information. All eyes glanced expectantly at the PADD.

'I don't believe it! Cadet James T. Kirk, son of the famous George Kirk,' said Finnegan, shaking his head in disbelief.

'You mean, _the _George Kirk--- from the Kelvin?' a cadet whispered in awe. The group exchanged amazed glances at each other and continued to read more.

'Yes, one and the same,' Finnegan replied. 'And from his physiological data…elevated heartbeat…yep, the facts are in…he's got the hots for your girl, Boma!' he said laughing, giving Samuel a slap on the back. 'But not to worry,' said Finnegan, noting Samuel's glare, '_her _heart rate is not elevated at all---and that poor cadet has no way of knowing that he shouldn't be annoying her at this time of the month'---as Nyota's personal and physiological data flowed across the screen. The gang laughed with Finnegan, and Boma fumed at Nyota's privacy being violated.

'Gentlemen,' Finnegan announced, standing and stretching his arms. 'I think we'll formally introduce ourselves to our new cadet after lunch. We'll make sure he gets a very warm Academy welcome.' He called Finney over as the last of the cadets found seats in the hall. 'And just to make sure he feels extra welcome, we'll make sure that he has the best roommates for Basic Training.' Finney typed in the necessary changes.

Lunch was a much more formal affair since there were so many more cadets. The food had been already laid out as each cadet took a place in the next available spot at a table. They were told that there would be assigned seating at future meals. Suddenly, the dining room became quiet, and everyone stood at attention as the upper eschelon of Star Fleet Academy entered the dining hall via the balcony. Admirals Barnett and Komack and Captain Pike walked briskly in and headed towards the center table. When they had taken their places, the meal commenced. Nyota, Christine, and Janice served themselves quickly and ate heartily of the light meal that had been placed before them. Upperclassmen were interspersed at the tables ensuring that new cadets kept some form of table decorum. They would be learning more about that too, the upperclassmen informed them giving them evil grins. A bell chimed, and the meal officially concluded, but the cadets were told to remain in their seats for announcements.

Nyota looked over at the table where she had spotted Samuel earlier, but didn't see him. He must have left as soon as the bell chimed. She knew that she would be meeting with him later anyway, so she didn't worry. She listened to the announcements about military issue, curfew, and room assignments.

'Don't worry, girls, I've taken care of everything,' Janice whispered, keeping an eye on the balcony waiting for the signal for dismissal. 'While the others will be sharing a six room 'suite', I've arranged for a four-room accommodation for us!' Nyota just looked at the woman wondering when she had had the time to work this out.

Finally, the signal was given, and the entire cadet wing rose as one. The new cadets slowly shouldered their way to the PADDs judiciously spaced on the walls of the dining hall to see where they would be housed. Janice immediately noticed an addition to their room---a Cadet Salva. She had hoped that maybe only the three of them would share the room. She shrugged at the girls and hoped that the new cadet would be okay.

As they were leaving, Jim Kirk made his way over to Nyota and her friends. 'Hello, lay-dees,' he said, in a presumptuous tone. 'I can't seem to find my room accommodation,' he said, giving the women his most perplexed look. 'Perhaps, I'm supposed to be roomed with you?'

'Get lost, Kirk! Animal quarters are back in Iowa,' answered Nyota flatly. The women giggled, and left Kirk standing alone.

'Come on!' McCoy said, pulling Kirk along to find their quarters on the wall PADD. Kirk grinned at Nyota, as she walked away from him, vowing to coax her first name out of her one day. He also wondered at the name of the cute blond that he knew was attracted to him.

'Wake up, Jim!' McCoy growled, jolting Kirk back to reality by giving him an elbow in the side. 'Aren't those the same guys who took care of you back in Iowa?' Kirk had pointed them out to McCoy on the shuttle when they had arrived at the Academy.

'Yes, they are…so what?' Kirk looked over and waved nonchalantly as they perused a PADD on the wall.

'Well, now they're looking in your direction, and two of them have smirks on their faces. Think man! What could that mean?'

Kirk looked more closely, and sure enough, he saw 'Cupcake' and another cadet glaring his way.

'What's the probability that I would be roomed with two of the cadets that I had a fight with in Iowa, McCoy,' Kirk reasoned. 'Pretty astronomical, wouldn't you say?' McCoy only shrugged, lips pursed together in concern.

Kirk and McCoy scanned the PADD and found their room assignments. Kirk knew instinctly that McCoy was right, and even though he didn't know their names, he knew that they would be his new roommates. Apparently, they knew his name by the wolfish grins on their faces.

The dining hall had almost emptied out when Kirk and McCoy finally left, headed towards the cadet dormitories. Outside, Kirk was still bemoaning his fate when he 'accidentally' bumped into somebody. He looked around apologetically, and was met by a huge upperclassman with an evil row of smiling teeth.

'What did I do now?' Kirk murmured to himself.

'Pardon me, but I didn't hear you say, 'Excuse me!' said the upperclassman.

'Excuse me!' said Kirk, wanting no problems.

'Excuse me, what,' the teeth queried.

'Excuse me, sir,' Kirk answered correctly.

'A little louder, I couldn't quite hear you!' Kirk looked at this new character wondering if the day would ever end.

'Excuse me, sir'! said Kirk again, a little louder, looking over at McCoy, who merely rolled his eyes at this new development.

Finnegan shook his head in mock disapproval, 'What is your name, Mister?'

'Cadet James T. Kirk, sir.'

'James T. Kirk.' Finnegan repeated, enunciating the 'T'. 'Cadet Kirk. Plebes aren't allowed to use abbreviations.' Finnegan instructed.

Kirk hesitated and said, 'My name is Cadet James Tiberius Kirk, sir.' As if on cue, the entire group broke into laughter.

'And where are you from, Ty--beer--ius?' said Finnegan, his gang smirking, anticipating the set-up.

'I am from Iowa, sir,' Kirk answered.

'Iowa? Farm boy, eh? Did you come all the way from Iowa just to piss me off, Kirk!' Laughter broke out again as Finnegan uttered the too often used trap.

Finnegan looked at the rebellious restraint in the cadet's face knowing that he had hit the jackpot with this one, and moved closer into Kirk's personal space---his face only inches away from Kirk's.

'Well, fellas,' he said meanly. 'We must find an appropriate punishment for a plebe who doesn't watch where he's going.'

'We need to get to our dormitory, sir,' interrupted McCoy, trying to extricate Kirk from the situation.

Finnegan looked briefly at the older man whom he had quite forgotten, and snapped his fingers at two cadets who took McCoy aside and started questioning him quietly about regulations. McCoy could do nothing but obey.

'It's the beginning of Basic Training plebe, and we need to get some things straight,' Finnegan stated eloquently, 'that is, if you don't want to go back to shucking corn and pulling on cow tits.' Finnegan joke drew appreciative chuckles. 'You need to understand who's in power here, and it's not you. We are here to teach you respect!'

Kirk just stood at attention looking straight ahead as Finnegan continued with his tirade.

'You are to report to our table every day after lunch and dinner without fail. We would like a bit of after meal entertainment. A song will do, won't it, fellas?' His cronies nodded their heads.

'Kirk…I think that you should start off learning that old naval tune, 'Anchors Aweigh', and bring your friend with you. A duet sounds a lot better anyway! Dinner tonight, Kirk, and you too, old man!' Finnegan said, turning to face McCoy. 'Be there or suffer the consequences!'

The cadets dispersed and McCoy sent a quiet curse after them.

'Since when did I become your friend?' McCoy said. 'I've only known you for three quarters of a day, and you've gotten me into heaps of trouble!'

'Who were those bastards anyway?' Kirk asked, watching the retreating backs.

'I don't know, but I don't like 'em,' stated McCoy.

* * *

_As promised, I updated within two weeks! Grin. Do I get a couple of more reviews as a reward??????????? And if you like this story, please give my other story 'No Alternative to Love' a read! Hope you liked this chapter!_


	14. Chapter 14

Beautiful Music Together.

Down to Basics, Part 2

Spock sat crossed-legged on the floor regarding his mother whose face currently occupied the living room viewscreen. She was sitting in a high-backed chair, staring at him with the look Spock associated with trouble. She hesitated, then reached down and depressed an unseen button which enlarged her son's face.

'There!' said Amanda, smiling a bit too brightly. 'Much better.'

Spock waited patiently for his mother to begin.

'Did you receive the invitation to the Ambassador's Ball, Spock? There _was_ an RSVP.'

'Mother, you know that I've been very busy. I believe I forwarded my itinerary to you and father last month.'

'Your father and I expect you to be in attendance...and if Admiral Barnett has found time in his busy schedule to attend, surely, our son, a _mere_ Lieutenant Commander, can find time in his schedule.'

Spock jaw tightened imperceptibly. He knew that all logical arguments weren't going to help him in this case. He waited for the final blow.

'Must I formally ask Admiral Barnett myself to excuse you for this one evening?'

_There it was_. Spock glared at his mother, knowing that this was not a casual threat.

'That will not be necessary.'

'I didn't think so,' Amanda replied, smiling gently knowing all along that he would have to acquiesce. 'Just a couple of hours, Spock,' she said soothingly.

Spock sighed knowing quite well what a 'couple of hours' from his mother entailed.

'And please wear your full military uniform with all your insignia, Spock...I want to show you off.'

Spock also knew what _that_ implied.

/

Cadet Kirk entered his room, and unceremoniously dumped his duffel on the top bunk at the back of the eight-man room. His roommates were not there yet, so he took the opportunity to reflect on the last 48 hours of his life while pulling some his belongings out of his bag. Of course, the day was not even close to being the worst day of his life, but it would threaten his personal 'top ten' if it continued to go downhill. As if on cue, surly words broke into his thoughts.

'Well, well, well. What do we have here, gents?' Kirk moaned softly, burying his face in the mattress. Recognizing the voice, Kirk slowly turned around just in time to see five cadets enter the room, two of whom he had already met.

'Looks like a farm boy to me,' said the other that he had also recognized. 'Wonder what it's doing here amongst civilized beings?'

'Don't know,' said the first nastily, 'but it's not sleeping in the top bunk, which was reserved for me. Dropping his duffel bag on the floor, the cadet advanced menacingly towards Kirk.

'Farm Boy…move your junk to the lower bunk by the door immediately before you stink everything up.'

Kirk grimaced, ready for action, but then he hesitated. For the first time in his life, he actually thought about consequences. Normally, he would have defended himself immediately, but the truth of the matter was, his life had changed dramatically within the last 48 hours; he had no meaningful place to go if he were thrown out of the Academy. He also didn't want to disappoint Captain Pike who had put his faith in him. (Damn the man and his speech!) He sullenly retrieved his duffel he had placed on the top bunk, and moved towards the lower bunk by the door. Somebody shoved him as he sauntered by, and he crashed headlong into the lower bunk. The things that he had already unpacked followed him, landing on him and the bed in a messy heap. Laughter lit up the room as Kirk lay sprawled in the lower bunk glaring up at his antagonists.

'Room! Atten-tion!' Suddenly, all five cadets sprung to attention. Kirk wriggled out of the lower bunk, struggling to stand up. Captain Christopher Pike stood imposingly at the door. The cadets tensed as he entered the room. _No whistle this time_, Kirk thought to himself.

'Cadet Kirk, gather your things and come with me,' said Pike, carefully eyeing the other cadets in the room. Not quite believing his luck, Kirk quickly grabbed his duffel bag and quickly stuffed his things back into it. Swinging the bag over his right shoulder, he headed out of the room. Kirk couldn't resist a quiet taunt as he passed by the cadets who were still standing rigidly at attention.

'At ease, gentlemen - Cupcake,' he said, as he walked briskly past. He wouldn't want to meet 'Cupcake' in a dark alley any time soon from the look that he gave Kirk.

'Somehow, you got an incorrect room assignment, Kirk,' Pike said, walking swiftly down the corridor. 'It happens from time to time in the military.' They left the dormitory, and headed down a long path towards another set of buildings.

'You will be rooming with other Fast Track cadets pending the official outcome of your test scores, which should be a mere formality.'

/

Cadet Salva waited nervously inside the dorm room. She had already picked up her military issue, and everything was still stuffed in her duffel as three women entered the room. She recognized two of the three from the shuttle trip to the Academy. She swallowed hard as the three stopped talking and regarded her closely.

'I'm Cadet Salva', she said walking up to the group, holding out a nervous hand to Uhura who was closest.

'I'm Nyota Uhura,' said Uhura, grasping her hand. She looked at Salva strangely after making contact. 'And this is Christine Chapel and Janice Rand.' Rand nodded in greeting while Christine reached over to palm the door close.

'Christine, we have to keep our door open except when dressing or sleeping. Regulations.'

Janice walked over to her bunk and dropped her bag on the floor.

'Hey! What a beautiful bracelet? Is it military issue?' Nyota said to Salva, half jokingly.

Salva smiled. 'Actually, it's part of _my_ military issue.' Salva hesitated, then felt the need to explain.

'I'm a Fotiallan.' As expected, the three women just looked at her waiting for her to continue. 'Without this bracelet, I'm able to take the form of any sentient being. This is not my true form…'

'…I don't particularly want to demonstrate,' continued Salva, noting their looks, 'this is very private to me- I've taken my present form, because it's more suitable for the Academy.'

The women nodded slowly and turned away modestly, but in a friendly manner, reflecting on what Salva had revealed.

'Hey!' exclaimed Christine, breaking the uncomfortable silence in the room. 'Take a look at your instruction PADDs! We've got a busy day tomorrow!'

06:00 Reveille

06:15 Morning run - Athletic Gear

06:30 Breakfast

07:30 - 10:00 Placement tests Duration: Entire week

10:00 - 11:50 Dormitory

11:00 - 11:45 Room Inspection

12:00 - 13:30 Lunch Break- Uniform of the Day

13:30 - 15:00 Marching training- Athletic Gear

15:00 - 16:00 Physical training- Athletic Gear

16:30 - 17:30 Lecture- Uniform of the Day

18:00 - 19:00 Evening Meal- Formal Uniform

'Six o'clock! Ugh!' said Christine.

'Well, at least I tried to prepared you for this,' said Janice smugly.

'Yeah. And it gets worse!' Christine said, scrolling down on the PADD. "We get to go 'camping' in the Colorado mountains after we've finished our three weeks of training here!"

'We're going to be extra busy, morning till night for the next six weeks. Hopefully, you guys are in good shape!' said Janice, scrolling down her PADD, knowing that she was already up to the challenge.

'We'll see when we have our morning run tomorrow,' added Christine.

'What are we supposed to do in the meantime?' Uhura asked, dumping the contents of her duffel bag in a big heap on her bed. 'Hey! Get a load of these!' Uhura giggled, and dangled five pairs of non-descript, white underwear which she had arbitrarily pulled from the heap.

'They don't expect us to wear _**those**_, do they?' Christine said, staring horrified, sorting frantically through her things hoping that Uhura's bag had been uniquely packed.

Uhura laughed some more as she pulled out a regulation swimsuit, which would definitely fail to flatter the best of figures, and a mahogony cap which look liked it was made for servicing than for officers.

'I can't wait to see you in this, Chris.' Nyota walked purposely over to Christine, and tried to put the hat on her head. Christine ducked laughing as Nyota managed to sneak one of Christine's arms into the swimsuit that she had hidden in her other hand.

'We're supposed to put our room together according to regulation,' said Rand pragmatically. 'We have inspection tomorrow at 11:00, and I want everything to be perfect.'

Christine plopped rebelliously down on her bed shoving Nyota playfully away.

'Please, Christine. Let's not get a bad rep for ourselves,' Rand said, regretting her decision to have included Christine in her room. 'The more we do now, the better it will be for us later. Come on, I'll show you how to fold your clothes properly and make your beds.'

'Have you found out who your advisor is Christine?' Nyota asked, recovering her seriousness.

'Doctor Puri. When I'm finished with Basic, I'm off to the Medical Academy.'

'He's my advisor, too!' offered Salva. Christine looked at her interestingly. 'I was supposed to be in Fast Track studying Xenolinguistics, but I decided to change to Medicine.'

'Who's yours, Janice?' Christine asked, shooting a glance at Nyota at the news that Salva had just revealed.

'I haven't been assigned one yet. I still need to take my placement tests.'

'How about yours, Nyota?' Salva asked.

Christine covered her mouth in mirth, and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Salva looked chagrined wondering what she had said wrong.

'Commander Spock,' Christine volunteered smugly when Nyota said nothing. 'Nyota is studying Xenolinguistics.'

'I thought that Captain Pike was in charge of Xenolinguistics. I've never heard of Commander Spock'.

'Oh you will, you will, Salva. He'll be around... I assure you,' laughed Christine, giving Nyota a side-long glance.

Nyota gave Christine a warning look, and quickly changed the subject. 'You'd better watch out for that guy you were ogling today, Janice. His name's Kirk, and he's bad news.'

'Well, I could use some good-looking news, good or bad.'

Nyota shrugged, having done her duty of warning.

'How was your date with Roger, Christine?'

'More than wonderful. I think I may have found the right one, ladies,' she said dreamingly.

'You all getting settled in okay?' said a familiar voice, which emerged from the corridor.

'Hi Sam!' Nyota said excitedly. 'Yes, we are. Where are you headed?'

'To another building, unfortunately,' he said, looking at Uhura. 'I'm a basic training cadet now, so I guess we'll be seeing each other in passing for the next six weeks.' He sighed, rueing the pause.

'We'll see each other, for sure, Sam. Too bad that our names are so far apart in the alphabet. Maybe you'll be seeing Christine a lot in some of your training classes. The military seems to still do things that way.' Janice nodded in agreement.

'Well, I'm sure that we'll have some free time on Sundays.'

Boma hesitated a bit, then fidgeted which didn't go unnoticed by the other women. He wished that he could have given Nyota a goodbye kiss or something. Instead he smiled, waved goodbye, hauled his duffel onto his back, and continued on his way.

Under the expert tutelage, (and haranguing), of Janice Rand, the women began working earnestly in removing dust and cleaning every millimeter of their room. The room had not been scrubbed down for months, so real progress was only seen after a couple of hours. Then, Janice showed the women how to fold their military issue. Finally, they attacked the clean linen and blankets which had been laid out on their beds, and made their bunks tight and neat.

Janice looked around the room quickly, her experienced eye gleaming, with the look of a job well done.

'I'm headed to the showers before dinner,' said Janice. 'Anybody want to come?' Christine grabbed her towel and accessories, and accompanied Janice out of the room.

'I'm going to relax a bit before showering,' Nyota said, plopping down in one of the chairs at the small desk which accompanied her bed.

When the two women had left, Cadet Salva took the opportunity to approach Nyota.

'I must apologize, Nyota'.

Nyota looked up at her quizzically. 'For what?'

'About causing you emotional distress on the shuttle.' Nyota's eye widened in slow comprehension. 'That...that was you…that strange cadet…wasn't it?'

'Yes…my bracelet was malfunctioning, and I must have picked up on your emotions the easiest. I just wanted you to know, because I knew that I had upset you.'

Nyota smiled in relief. 'I'm just happy to know that I'm not crazy.'

'You sing very well, too!'

'Oh no!' Nyota said, putting a hand over her eyes. 'You were there, too!'

'I just hope the engineers have got the mechanics on this bracelet correct.'

'Thanks for telling me, and thank you for deciding on Medicine! Looks like I inherited your place in Fast Track when you decided to change careers.'

Nyota's personal PADD beeped, and she quickly read the message. She was glad that Christine wasn't there. She was to meet Commander Spock immediately. It would be a quick meeting she surmised, because dinner was scheduled in an hour. She quickly affirmed the appointment, regretted not taking a shower, straightened her uniform, informed Salva, and left the building.

/

Uhura stood outside the door, and straightened her uniform before tapping the door softly. It was early evening, and there were no office personnel present.

'Enter.'

Uhura walked sharply through the open door to the center of the room, and stood at attention before his desk.

'Cadet Uhura, reporting as ordered, sir,' she said.

'At ease, Cadet,' said the formal voice of the Vulcan officer.

Nyota complied by putting her arms behind her back and relaxing her stance just a bit. She then gave Spock her undivided attention.

'I've gone over your record, Cadet,' Spock began without preamble. I had assumed you had accomplished all your physical prerequisites. There seems to be an omission; however, which requires clarification. Have you achieved the Star Fleet swimming standard?'

'No, sir.'

He gestured giving her permission to speak. 'I thought regulations required that I complete the standard within the next three years.'

Spock just looked at her briefly, and began scanning his PADD as if searching for something. His look revealed that he had been unsuccessful.

'Since you are in Fast Track, you must complete prerequisites like swimming as soon as possible.' He paused briefly. 'As I feared, offical swimming classes have been suspended during basic training; therefore, you must be instructed privately...before your class leaves for Colorado. Your day will begin at 04:00 tomorrow morning for the next three weeks. I will be your instructor.

'Any questions?'

'No, sir.'

'Dismissed.'

Spock watched her as she left the office. He paused to consider his logic. Of course, the swimming course couldn't be avoided…she had to have the requirement…and to ask another instructor to accommodate the cadet at 04:00 was out of the question. So it was only logical that he take on the task.


End file.
